


Bikers and Burgers

by Arcookie



Category: The Last of Us (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Gangs, References to Drugs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:47:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 72,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27577397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arcookie/pseuds/Arcookie
Summary: In the midst of an all out terf war between the three gangs in her city: The Vipers, The Scorpions, and The Phantoms, Ellie must juggle her responsibilities with The Vipers, hockey, work, and college. She normally doesn't have too big of a problem with this until she meets Dina, a rival gang leader's daughter, who has no idea about her parent's line of work.
Relationships: Abby & Lev (The Last of Us), Abby/Ellie (The Last of Us), Dina & Ellie (The Last of Us), Dina/Ellie (The Last of Us), Ellie & Jesse (The Last of Us), Ellie & Joel (The Last of Us), Ellie & Maria (The Last of Us), Ellie & Tommy (The Last of Us), Ellie/Sarah (The Last of Us)
Comments: 267
Kudos: 285





	1. Highway to Hell

Chapter One

_Living easy, living free_

_Season ticket on a one-way-ride_

Ellie whistled to the music blasting in her headphones as she flipped the greasy burgers with ease. Because she worked five days a week at Tommy’s Diner, Ellie returned home every day smelling like fries and the weird lavender-scented cleaning dish soap Tommy kept stocked in the back.

_Asking nothing, leave me be_

_Taking everything in my stride_

Ellie slapped a slice of processed cheese on each patty, waited for it to melt, and then slid each onto a bun with lettuce, tomato, and a single pickle.

“Order up!” she shouted, pushing the two plates of food into the slot.

“What time you got?” Lev, the busboy, asked as he approached. Ellie had to duck her head to see him through the slot because he was so short. With a quick glance at the clock behind her, she blew out a breath.

“7:15, I’m leaving in five.”

“But Abby’s not here yet,” he frowned.

“You’re not serious,” she groaned, pulling out both earbuds and giving the gritty kitchen a once over. Ellie had a game, a really important one, and she couldn’t miss it because the other meat head grill cook didn’t show up for her shift.

“Okay…” she said, glancing at the small stack of orders, “I’ll go talk to Tommy.”

Ellie switched the grill off, pulled the fries out of the frier, and ducked around the corner in the kitchen to where the manager’s office sat off to the side.

Without bothering to knock, Ellie opened the door to find her uncle conked out, his feet propped on his desk, head tilted back in his swivel chair.

“Tommy.”

No response.

“ _Tommy_ ,” she said again, that time louder.

He twitched, but still nothing.

“Tommy, Maria’s out in front, asking about you.”

Ellie’s uncle jumped to his feet so fast he nearly fell; he looked like a cornered wild animal, eyes wide and bloodshot, knees bent. She watched him in amusement as he settled down, tried brushing the wrinkles out of his jeans, ran a hand over his beard.

“What did… what did she say?” His low voice grumbled out, still thick with sleep.

“That Abby’s late, and I’ve got that game against Creekwood in an hour.”

His shoulders slumped, and he pursed his lips, “You trying to give a man a heart attack? Get out of here kid, I’ll take care of it.”

Ellie opened her mouth, about to thank him, when she heard shouting coming from the dining area. She and Tommy exchanged a knowing look, and rushed out of the office, running the short hall in a few seconds, and skidding to a stop to find an angry looking guy around her age, maybe twenty or twenty-one, balling his fists at his side.

“Whoa, whoa, what’s the problem here?” Tommy asked in his Southern drawl, holding his hand out in an attempt to show he meant no harm.

“Scar face over there’s refusing me service,” he spat, jutting his head in Lev’s direction.

“The hell did you just say?” Ellie asked, moving from her spot near the hallway, hot anger shooting through her.

“Yeah,” a voice said, “I’d like to hear that again.”

Ellie turned to find Abby, bulky as ever, making her way from the kitchen, a menacing look in her eyes. She was only holding a spatula, but in her hands, it might as well have been an assault rifle.

Panic flashed across Tommy’s face, and he went from trying to calm the unruly customer, to making sure his cooks didn’t beat the living crap out of the guy.

“Let’s all calm down here,” Ellie’s uncle said, “Lev, what’s the problem?”

“He won’t take his jacket off,” he said quietly, pointing towards the leather jacket the customer was wearing.

“What’s your name, son?” Tommy asked, gesturing for Lev to go to the back and take a break.

“Jesse,” the guy said, a sour look on his face.

“Listen here,” Tommy put his hands on his hips, but then thought better of it and returned them to hanging by his side. “In this here restaurant there are no Vipers, no Scorpions, no Phantoms. You come in, you take your jacket off.”

Ellie looked over the guy’s- Jesse’s jacket, and saw that he had a Scorpion jacket, meaning he was from the southside gang. Explained the mullet hair and eyebrow piercing.

Jesse stared hard at Tommy for a minute, challenging, before giving in and pulling his leather jacket off.

“Attaboy. Now, what can I get yah?”

Tommy glanced over at Ellie, and nudged his head toward the exit, telling her to go, and she waved, before turning to leave. Ellie exchanged a nod with Abby and went to the back, pulling her headphones back in.

_Going down, party time_

_My friends are gonna be there too, yeah_

Ellie stepped through the back entrance into the cool night air and walked towards her burnt orange Yamaha, a smile on her face. She pulled her sticker-covered helmet over her head, flipped the visor down, and slipped her arms through her own jacket, which had a giant Viper stitched into the back.

Her bike, Shimmer, revved up right away, and she swept the kick stand back in one smooth motion, and shot down the lamp-lit street towards the University rink.

_I’m on the highway to Hell_

_Highway to Hell_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that was the first chapter! This was my first time writing a fanfic after having read so many from TLOU2, so I thought I'd give it a shot.
> 
> If you didn't know, the song Ellie was listening to is Highway to Hell by AC/DC
> 
> Please let me know what you think, I love leaving comments on works, and would love to receive some. If you like it, I'll continue to write it!
> 
> I'm @arcookie on tumblr if you want to stop by!


	2. The New Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new team manager arrives late, and an unexpected visitor is waiting for Ellie at home.

“Fall in, ladies,” Tess said, coach’s clipboard in hand. She looked around at all twenty hockey players, a stern, but loving expression on her face. “This game and the next are make it or break it. Starting wingers,” she said, looking at Ellie and Nora, “Creekwood’s defense is excellent. Keep your passes tight, get in shots when you can. This is a team, work _together_ ,” she said, stressing the last word. Even on the ice, gang rivalry had a tendency to make its way into relationships.

Ellie’s eyes darted to Nora, a Scorpion like that guy at the diner, and looked away again. Scorps were awful, but at least she wasn’t a Phantom. Those guys…

“What are we?!” Coach Tess asked, cutting her thoughts off.

“Champions!” The team yelled in unison.

“And what do we do?!”

“Champion!” The girls shouted, throwing their hands in the center of the room, and raising them up with a yell.

“Let’s get em!” The team captain, Jamie, shouted.

Ellie slipped her mouth guard in and rolled her shoulders as the team walked from the locker room to the short hallway leading to the ice.

“You smell like an abandoned Burger King,” Nora said in Ellie’s ear, taking an exaggerated sniff.

Ellie raised an eyebrow, “And what- you’re, oh god,” she coughed, “Your ego, it’s like… like…”

“A steaming pile of hot garbage?”

Ellie turned to face the voice that had spoken, bewildered. Standing in front of her was a girl she’d never seen before, with dark hair, freckles, and the most beautiful eyes she’d ever seen.

“ _Ladies_ ,” Tess warned as she walked up, and turned to the girl who’d spoken.

“Everyone, really quickly, this is your new team manager, Dina.”

Ellie returned her gaze to the new girl, to Dina, and her face grew hot when she realized she was being stared at.

“Sorry I wasn’t here for warmups- my boyfriend was late picking me up.”

Boyfriend.

Well, that was that.

Ellie tilted her neck form side to side, stretching it, and shook her arms out as the team began skating out onto the ice. Crisis averted. She couldn’t afford a crush anyway, not after everything that had happened. Not after Riley.

One by one the team circled around the rink as their names were announced. When it was Ellie’s turn, she twirled her stick in the air, earning a few cheers, before skidding to a stop at her position, spraying ice everywhere.

To Ellie, it was the moment right before the game started that held the most energy. Everyone was bent at the knees, ready to intercept or receive the puck, whichever was needed depending on which team was fast enough after the referee set it on the ice, and that was when Ellie felt it. This raw, pent up energy she’d stored up all day. Maybe it was from a fight she’d managed to avoid, or finally completing a class project. It didn’t matter _where_ it was from, it always translated to power and speed on the ice.

Ellie adjusted her grip on her stick, feeling at home in her gear, even though it was a Wolf stitched on the back of her jersey, not a Viper.

There- the referee dropped the puck on the ice, and the center for her team won the face off, passing it off to Nora, the left winger. Ellie took off, watching out for a pass, and knocking into, or “checking” in hockey terms, anyone that got in her way.

When a shrill whistle sounded to her left, Ellie turned just in time to receive Nora’s pass and kept going, practically sprinting as she made a beeline for the goal. Just a few more feet, and she could make the slap shot, just a few more-

Ellie’s feet were knocked out from underneath her, and she hit the ice.

“That was dirty!” Ellie heard Jamie shout from her right. With some difficulty, she stood up, taking an offered hand from one of her own team’s defenseman.

“Penalty!” The ref shouted, sending the offending player to the penalty box for a two-minute wait, giving the Wolves an advantage with one extra player on the ice.

“Have fun in the ‘sin bin’” Nora shouted after the player being escorted. Ellie looked up in surprise, and Nora only shrugged and made her way back to position as Ellie was subbed out for a break.

“Your left side’s your weaker, you have to keep your eyes open,” Tess said when Ellie climbed over the boards, still a little disoriented.

“Yes, coach,” she nodded, taking the water she was offered, and sitting at the edge of the bench.

Ellie took sips of water, not wanting to overdo it, as she watched what was going on out on the ice. She had a weird feeling she couldn’t shake, scratching the back of her neck in a nervous habit. It didn’t take her long to figure out why: the new team manager was staring at her.

She turned to the girl, who thought she was being discreet next to the tub of water bottles, and looked her square in the eyes, challenging. Dina didn’t look away, but her cheeks went pink, and Ellie frowned, turning her gaze into a glare.

What was this girl’s problem, eaves dropping on her, and staring?

After what felt like an eternity, Dina finally looked away when Tess called her over for something. Ellie rolled her eyes and refocused on the game playing out in front of her.

…

The match was longer than most, extending into both overtime and a shootout since the teams were tied, but with a shot scored by both Ellie and Nora, they won by one point.

“One team to go before we’re eligible for the playoffs!” Tess said as the teammates met up after showering and getting freshened up. A few people whooped, and Ellie grinned, tying her hair in a knot behind her head.

“Go! Celebrate!”

There was no doubt what most of the other girls were going to go off and do: meet up with the people who’d come to watch them play, maybe even go to a party, but Ellie had responsibilities.

When she stepped off her bike and pulled her helmet off, Ellie frowned when she noticed a different car, a really nice one, parked next to the bar she and Joel lived above. She was used to lots of different people filtering through her home, that was the nature of being the daughter of “The Old Man,” the most feared biker in the Eastside, but this was motorcycle county, not Mustang.

Ellie felt in her back pocket for her switchblade before entering the bar, the hangout and meeting area for all of the Vipers, and climbing the flight of steps to the loft above.

Joel was already waiting for her, leaned against the door with his cowboy hat tipped over his eyes, and a cigar in his hand.

“Ellie, listen-”

“Who’s in there?”

“How was your game?”

“Won. Who’s in our house?”

“That’s my girl,” he chuckled, still not answering her question.

“You going to answer my question?” Ellie asked, trying to push Joel out of the way, a move that only she could get away with. If it were anyone else, they’d be decked on the floor in seconds, if not worse.

He sighed, a slow, tired look in his eyes and something else- was he… nervous? “Before you go in, I’m going to need you to be calm, alright? Keep it in check, Kiddo.”

“Depends who you’re trying to protect in there.”

Joel’s shoulders slumped, and Ellie already knew the answer. That look, it was reserved for one person- the one who’d abandoned them, betrayed them for The Phantoms- for a quick buck and power.

“Sarah,” Joel said, “Your sister’s home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh! Okay, so I was going to wait and post this since I'm a little ahead, but since I've gotten so many kind comments I thought I'd go ahead and post the second chapter!! Thank you so much to everyone who left comments, kudos, and read! 
> 
> I'll probably be updating once a week, maybe sometimes twice, depending on school and work, so the next update will be sometime next weekend. 
> 
> Please let me know what you think in the comments! I'm really excited to share this story with everyone:):) 
> 
> Have a good week!


	3. Look for the Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellie confronts Sarah, and faces hard memories

Ellie held the soda Joel had handed her in a death grip as she watched Sarah, who was sitting on _her_ couch, in _her_ spot, with _her_ magazine in hand. She’d expected to be angry when Joel had opened the door, had even imagined herself flying at Sarah, her switchblade in hand, but she wasn’t. Instead, she just felt… small.

_“We’ll find her,” Riley’s voice rang through her head, “Sarah’s fine.”_

“How’d you get that fancy car out there?” Ellie asked, trying to drown out the memories.

“Drugs, I sell hard core drugs.”

Joel chuckled, remembering when Sarah had said the same thing when she was twelve and had gifted him the very watch that was sitting on his wrist. Ellie, however, didn’t find her “joke” amusing at all.

“You think that’s funny?” She snapped, setting the soda can on the table a little too hard, and sending splatters of Pepsi everywhere.

_“It’s fine, they won’t hear us,” Riley said, as she and Ellie creeped around the edges of the property. “Besides,” she punched Ellie’s shoulder lightly, “I’ve got super stealth.”_

They’d thought Sarah had been kidnapped by The Phantoms. _Kidnapped_.

Sarah studied Ellie with an amused smile, watching the girl struggle. “Yeah, I do. Dad does too,” she said, gesturing to Joel. “I hear you’re doing pretty well with hockey.”

_“There are a million ways I could’ve died before today,” Riley said, panting as Ellie tried desperately to keep pulling her along, ignoring the gunshots and yelling coming from the warehouse behind them._

_“You’re not going to die,” Ellie said through her teeth, but she was crying, because she knew there was no way she was going to be able to make it much farther at the pace they were going in enemy territory._

_And fate, being as cruel as she always had been to Ellie, seemed to be listening as her foot caught on something, sending both girls crashing to the ground._

_“It’s okay,” Riley whispered as Ellie desperately tried to get them both back on there feet. “Stop it.”_

_Ellie’s shoulders shook, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she repeated over and over again, feeling even worse when Riley, the one who’d gotten shot, started comforting her instead of the other way around._

_“This isn’t what I meant when I said I wanted my death to be all poetic,” she said weakly, trying to get Ellie to meet her eyes. When she didn’t, Riley slowly, painfully, pulled her lucky ring, black and thin, off of her swollen finger and pressed it into Ellie’s hand. “Don’t forget about me, Ellie, or I’ll haunt your ass.”_

“Do you think…” Ellie asked, twisting the ring on her finger, “Do you think I _care_ about hockey right now? She’s dead because of you!” Ellie yelled standing up, taking huge gulps of air in an attempt to calm herself. “And you show up two years later like you just left for a vacation, sitting in our house, drinking Joel’s beer, as if nothing happened?”

“Ellie…” Joel said, starting to get up from his stool at the kitchen table.

“No!” she looked wildly around the room, “No.” Ellie took a breath, backing out, “I get why you want to forgive her, but I can’t. I won’t.”

“Where are you going?” Joel asked, as Ellie picked up her jacket from the back of her chair.

“I’m scheduled for patrol,” she said, and left the room without looking back.

…

Ellie flipped open her helmet visor as she cruised down the streets of the Eastside, grateful for the fresh air, even if It was a little cold. She hated fighting with Joel, but Sarah was always a sore spot, a wound that just wouldn’t heal.

She stole a glance at the ring on her middle finger and pursed her lips. Riley has specifically told Ellie not to blame herself, that none of this was her fault, that in the world they lived in, which was so full of violence and hurt, she’d been lucky to make it as long as she had. But it was hard to accept that and not consider the what ifs. Like if Ellie hadn’t gone out looking for Sarah when she hadn’t come home that day, or if Riley hadn’t caught her trying to sneak away and threatened to rat her out to Joel unless she came with.

“All good, Miller?” Abby asked when Ellie came to a stop beside her, in the center of the empty road.

“Yeah,” she said, tapping the girl’s outstretched fist with her own in greeting “You?”

“Caught a couple Scorps wandering around the border, but I took care of them.”

Ellie nodded, and revved her engine, “When you’re lost in the dark…”

“Look for the light,” Abby said, finishing The Viper’s motto, a sort of wish of good luck the gang members said in parting, before the both rode off.

_“What, are we moths or something?” Riley’s voice rang through Ellie’s head._

_“According to Joel, I guess,” Ellie grinned, “But not you. You’re a butterfly.”_

_“Even worse!” Riley laughed, bumping Ellie’s shoulder, “Have you seen pictures of those things up close? Terrifying.”_

_“You’re afraid of a little moth?”_

_“I’m afraid of a lot of things,” she said, her tone turning serious._

The tattoo on Ellie’s arm stung, even though she’d gotten it nearly six months ago, and she rubbed it with her left hand. Ellie wasn’t afraid of the things Riley had been, like small spaces and butterflies apparently, but there was one thing she was. That night, two people had died on her, not one. Both her girlfriend, and Sarah, leaving her even closer to being utterly, devastatingly, completely alone.

Ellie turned a street corner and tried to steady her breathing; going home was out of the question, and while no one dared mess with her as Joel’s daughter, most weren’t too eager to be her friend either.

After her watch shift was up, Ellie found herself at the doorstep of Tommy’s rundown apartment.

“Old man know yer here?”

“Nope.”

“Best to keep it that way,” he said, moving over so she could enter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!! Today was a really light day for school, so I was able to get some writing done. I'm going to try to stay one chapter ahead of what I post, so instead of going by a schedule like I said before, I'll just post a chapter every time I finish one. 
> 
> A quick note, I've decided to rename Ellie's bike "Shimmer"- I'm going to use Ollie for something else later on. 
> 
> Do you guys like when I respond to your comments? 
> 
> Stay safe!


	4. Desert Scum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story behind Lev's scars is revealed, and Ellie has a talk with Dina's "boyfriend"

Ellie trudged through her classes the next morning, keeping her eyes focused on the ground and her hands shoved deep in her pockets. It was pretty hard to concentrate on algorithms and reading up on Sigmund Freud when it felt like there was a tornado whirring around in her head.

“What’s up with you?”

Ellie looked up and spotted Lev at a picnic table outside of the library, hurriedly stuffing things in his backpack to catch up with her. The kid was practically a genius, sixteen and already in college, so it wasn’t surprising that it looked like he’d been knee-deep in studying when Ellie passed.

“Nothing,” she shrugged as he fell into pace beside her.

Ellie could feel the eyes that followed them as they walked; Lev because of the prominent scars along the sides of his face, and Ellie because of her jacket. She’d never minded it though, liked it even; like a real Viper, the patch on her back was a symbol for people to back off or face the consequences.

Lev’s scars on the other hand, were not something he’d chosen to wear. His mom, one of the older Vipers, was an addict to a drug only available in Phantom Territory. That wouldn’t have been such an issue if she hadn’t crossed the border delirious form withdrawal, in her Vipers jacket. It was an unspoken rule that you take anything that identifies you with a different group off when you cross over. It was a symbol of respect, so Lev’s mom may as well have spit on a Phantom’s shoes when she showed up that night.

The Phantoms were different than the other two groups… they were almost like a cult with their rituals and rules. As a lesson, they’d taken Lev’s older sister Yara, and had scarred Lev. They’d been kids, Ellie only twelve when an eight-year-old Lev was delivered at her and Joel’s doorstep with a note. Yara hadn’t made it.

That’s why Ellie had been so terrified when Sarah had gone missing: because in their town there was only one reason people disappeared, and what The Phantoms had done to Lev’s face as a warning was “taking it easy.”

The “punishment” had worked just as planned, too. They’d broken Lev’s mom, and it was now _him_ who took care of _her_. She was a “demon,” hooked on a drug hard to come by, and would go to any means necessary to get what she needed.

The family was permanently under Viper protection, Ellie and other high-ranking members dropped supplies at their house once a week, but that didn’t make anything easier. Lev’s mom was in a constant lucid state when she wasn’t out, and Lev was determined to join The Vipers the second he turned eighteen, and the thought made Ellie nauseous.

“You can’t lie to me, you know. I saw her.” Lev said, pulling her out of her thoughts.

“You spying on me, kid?” Ellie asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I’ve got your whole house bugged, El.”

He said it so seriously, Ellie did a double take. “Wait- really?”

“No,” he laughed, “No, Abby told me.”

Ellie grunted, not knowing how to feel. The last time she’d checked, Abby was pretty indifferent about her.

“She’s a traitor.”

Ellie looked over at him, “Yeah.”

“But she’s also your sister.”

“Yeah,” Ellie sighed, and stopped in front of the rink entrance. “See you at work?”

“You know it,” Lev said, shooting her a finger gun and walking off.

Ellie yawned, and walked through the double doors, walking fast to try and wake herself up a little more.

“Hey, Miller,” one of her teammates called in greeting. She waved in the direction of the voice, but kept going, wanting to get on the ice. Because of her tunnel vision, she didn’t notice the man leaning against the locker room entrance until she was right in front of him.

“What are you doing here, Owen?”

“Joel sent me,” he shrugged, his arms crossed over his chest casually.

“Tell him I’m fine, stayed with a friend,” she said, trying to push past him, but getting blocked again. Unfortunately, her father’s right-hand man was relentlessly loyal.

“That’s not why he sent me,” Owen winced, “He’s got a job for you- us.”

“Who’s us?” Ellie asked, glancing around.

“You, me, Abby, Manny,” he lowered his voice and leaned in closer so only she could hear, “Thinks we can gain a couple buildings in the south side.”

Ellie nodded slowly, “When?”

“Midnight, which should be fun, you look half dead,” he said, waving his hand in front of her tired eyes, “Brief at eight.”

“Yeah, okay,” she nodded, “Anything else?”

Owen didn’t respond, and Ellie frowned, but quickly figured out why: a Scorpion had just walked in through the double doors.

“That’s the guy,” Ellie said suddenly, “The one giving Tommy an attitude.”

Tommy, like Lev, was under Viper protection. He and Joel weren’t on speaking terms, but that didn’t mean he would leave him out to dry. Tommy was family, and while his diner just like the university was in Mid-town, neutral territory, that didn’t protect him from other gang members that remembered his days as a Viper.

Owen though for a moment, and then nodded, “Come on.”

Ellie walked beside him, pulling herself up to her full height as they approached the Scorp, who had his back turned to them.

“Hey, desert scum,” Owen said, shoving the guy’s shoulder.

He whipped around, and Ellie remembered his name was Jesse. Ellie’s eyes flicked to who he’d been talking to. The new girl, Dina.

What?

“Look who it is,” Owen said nudging my shoulder, “I know this punk- it’s Firefly’s foot servant,” he laughed. Ellie bit her tongue to keep from blurting that Owen was essentially the same thing to Joel. Firefly was the leader of the Scorpions, just as respected and feared as The Old Man… Ellie glanced at Dina. Did she know who she was talking to, and how dangerous it was to be near someone so close to a gang lord?

Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea…

“Still slumming it with The Old Man?” He asked, pushing Owen back with just as much force. Ellie caught onto Owen’s arm to steady him, and glared.

“Say it again.”

Jesse turned to her and sneered, “What?”

“I said,” Ellie reached for her back pocket, “Sat it again.”

Jesse laughed, “Okay, _princess_. I’ll spell it out for you. Your boy here?” He pointed at Owen, “He’s slumming it with-” 

Ellie lunged, grabbing his jacket with her fists, and pulled him closer. She heard a few of her teammates whistle, but Nora wasn’t there yet, so there was no Scorpion that would step in to stop her.

“Ellie.”

She drug her eyes away from Jesse’s, whose were wide, but challenging, and saw Dina, who didn’t look afraid, only weary. And… disappointed?

Her heart leapt at a realization- Dina knew her name, she- Ellie shook her head a little, and looked away, focusing on Jesse again. She’d start by getting rid of the awful eyebrow piercing, and then-

“ _Ellie_.”

Do not look at her, do not- Ellie met Dina’s eyes again and growled. What did it matter what the new girl thought? This was who she was, what she did. To disrespect Joel _and_ another fellow Viper in front of her was unforgivable.

Lev’s face flashed in front of her eyes; hadn’t that been the same sick reasoning The Phantoms had used?

With a huff, she released Jesse, shoving him away, “Get out.”

“I know your name, princess,” he said, eyes glinting, “Ellie.”

“Damn straight,” she squared her shoulders, “Ellie Miller.”

The smile instantly fell from his face when he heard her last name. She was untouchable according to another one of the unspoken rules, just like family of the Firefly was, and whoever was related to the unknown leader of The Phantoms. To put it simply, Jesse had just utterly screwed himself.

…

“So. That your boyfriend?” Ellie asked Dina, lingering off the ice as the rest of the girls slowly made their way out. Despite herself, she twisted the ring around her finger nervously.

“Yes,” she frowned, “No- I don’t know, it’s complicated. He has a car and we…” She trailed off, “What about you?”

“Oh yeah, Jesse and will I have been dating for three years next week,” she joked, scraping her skate along the ice.

“Oh?” Dina smiled, “Congrats. Any big plans?”

“Nice candlelit dinner, maybe get him some roses.”

“How romantic,” Dina grinned, and her heart fluttered again.

Ellie watched Dina for a moment, feeling a sense of familiarity. Why was is so easy to talk with a girl she’d only met, and moreover, why did Ellie _want_ to keep talking to her, if only to hear the sound of her laugh again?

“So,” Dina said, breaking the silence, “That guy back there- was he?”

Ellie let the question hang between them a minute before understanding dawned on her, “Oh, god no,” she said, throwing her hands out so forcefully, she lost her balance. Dina’s hand darted out and caught her wrist, stilling her.

“Thanks,” Ellie laughed, feeling her face grow hot. What was going on? She was _not_ a blusher.

“Why would you join the Vipers?” Dina asked, pulling her hand back after lingering for a second too long.

The question surprised her; Ellie had grown up with a reputation. It wasn’t often she met someone who didn’t know the weight of the last name “Miller.”

“You’re literally _dating_ a Scorpion,” Ellie said, dodging the question.

“I’m not-” Dina shook her head a little, causing her ponytail to swoosh behind her, “My dad likes him. We’ve known each other since we were kids.”

Ellie scoffed- A dad that liked his daughter dating a Scorp? She gave Dina a once over again and realized her mistake: she’d assumed Dina was from around the East or Westside, but given the shoes and outfit she was wearing, all of which were designer, she couldn’t be. Dina was from the Northside.

She didn’t know Ellie’s reputation because she’d grown up away from all of this, and her dad was okay with her dating a Scorpion because he’d probably never even seen one up close before.

“Why’d you call him your boyfriend, then?” Ellie snapped, a sudden anger flashing through her.

“Why did you assume _he_ was my boyfriend?” Dina retorted, just as quickly.

“Because you said-” Ellie stopped short. She had no idea why she’d assumed it was Jesse that Dina had been talking about yesterday. She grunted in frustration, and shrugged looking away.

“Just be careful, hanging around him- it’s easy to get sucked in.”

“But I’m talking to you right now, and I’m doing just fine.” Dina smiled softly until Ellie looked at her again, but Ellie only rolled her eyes. 

“You heard what your boy… _friend_ ” she corrected, “called me back there. To him, I’m just a girl… nottttttt a threat.”

Dina’s eyebrows rose, as Tess blew her whistle, signaling for the players to meet at the center of the ice. “Oh, Ellie…” she touched The Viper’s shoulder pad, “if I were him, I’d be terrified.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun writing Dina and Ellie's second interaction!! 
> 
> Also, I thought it would be pretty cool to have their roles reversed, so Owen and Jesse are on "opposite" sides in relation to Ellie in this fic. Let me know what you think! 
> 
> Stay safe:)


	5. Shoot to Thrill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellie, Abby, Owen, and Manny work together on an assignment and run into some unexpected trouble. 
> 
> I highly recommend listening to Shoot to Thrill by AC/DC while reading this chapter, it's the same song Ellie listens to. 
> 
> Note: There's a bit of violence and injury in this chapter, nothing very graphic, and there is also a mention of blood

Ellie bounced from foot to foot, in time with the drums blasting in her ears, eye closed, an air guitar in her hands.

_All you women who want a man of the street_

_But you don’t know which way you want to turn_

“Would you stop that?” Abby hissed, shooting her a glare as she pulled her helmet off. They were a block away from the buildings they were supposed to be checking out, right on the edge of their territory and the beginning of the Scorpion’s.

_Just keep a coming and put your hand out to me_

_‘Cause I’m the one who’s gonna make you burn_

“Ay, come on Abby, lighten up,” Manny said, walking around his bike and standing beside Ellie, “We’re still on our terf, and besides, La música es vida.”

“Music is life, huh? Is it death too?” Abby asked, glancing at them, “Because if you don’t stop dancing around like that, you’re going to get us killed.”

“You mean…” Owen closed the satchel on the side of his bike and looked up, “Like this?”

Ellie grinned as he began dancing circles around Abby, shrugging his shoulders and thrusting his head back and forth like a chicken.

“What the _hell_ is wrong with you?” She asked, shoving him. That only encouraged him, and he grabbed onto Abby’s hands, trying to get her to loosen up.

“Miller lite, you mind sharing your tunes?” Owen asked, getting Abby to sway a little.

Ellie couldn’t help herself, she laughed, even though he used the annoying nickname one of The Old Man’s buddies had given her, essentially calling her a mini-Joel.

Ellie pulled her phone out of her pocket and unplugged her headphones, causing AC/DC to cut through the night air.

_I'm gonna take you down - down, down, down  
_

_So don't you fool around  
_

_I'm gonna pull it, pull it, pull the trigger_

“Good taste,” Manny said, doing the moon walk and spinning, as Ellie continued with her air guitar.

“I’m on a job with a bunch of children,” Abby groaned, but Ellie didn’t miss the smile threatening to spread across her face.

_Shoot to thrill, play to kill_

_Too many women with too many pills_

_  
Shoot to thrill, play to kill_

_  
I got my gun at the ready, gonna fire at will_

A sudden warmth went through Ellie’s chest as she looked at the people surrounding her, something that hadn’t happened since Riley. Maybe it wasn’t that no one wanted to be her friend, but that she hadn’t let them get close enough to even try.

“Shit, Ellie, turn that off.” Abby said suddenly, going stiff and ducking behind her bike.

Ellie quickly plugged the headphones back in and did the same, hearing raised voices. She glanced at the person closest to her, Manny, and he wore the same concerned expression. The people Abby had spotted were Scorps, and not only were they walking the street like they owned it, but they had still had their jackets on.

Ellie pulled her revolver, the one Joel had passed down to her when she’d been initiated, from her waistband.

“Hold,” Owen whispered, raising his fist to symbolize he wanted them to stay put for now. No one questioned him; not only was he the oldest out of all of them, but he held the most authority of everyone in the group.

“I’m telling you, T, this is insane.”

“Yeah, well it’s not really up to us, is it?” a woman’s voice responded.

Ellie raised her eyebrows and glanced over at Owen, but his expression remained even as the two grew closer.

“You’re the one that got us into the mess,” the guy snapped.

“Really?” the woman’s head, still disguised by shadows, whipped around, “You want to do this _now_?”

He sighed, “I’m just saying…” his voice trailed off when the woman stopped walking, seeming to have spotted something.

“Come on- this way.”

Ellie watched as they turned the corner and walked between two houses before turning to the others.

“Change of plans,” Owen said, standing up, “Abby, Ellie, trail them. Manny and I will clear the two buildings.”

“Absolutely not.” Ellie crossed her arms.

“We’re not splitting up,” Abby said at the same time.

“Do either of you want to have to explain to The Old Man why we failed a simple assignment _and_ let a couple Scorps get away with trespassing?”

Abby and Ellie both remained silent at that; no one wanted to disappoint Joel, not when he’d done so much for all of them.

“It’ll be fine,” Manny said reassuringly, giving them both a smile, “In and out, then we’ll meet up with you and see what’s going on.”

Owen pulled his gun out of his side holster, spun it, and pointed towards Ellie and Abby playfully, starting to dance again, “Remember kids… Shoot to thrill.”

“I hate you,” Abby said, but kissed him on the cheek and backed up so she was standing next to Ellie.

“When you’re lost in the dark…” Manny and Owen started, “Look for the light,” Abby and Ellie finished, and with one final nod to each other, the two teams split up.

…

Ellie, being faster and better at hiding, crept about a hundred yards closer to the trespassers than Abby. She was close enough to see the two figures but could only hear the murmuring of their voices as they continued to wander through the neighborhood.

What could they possibly want in the middle of the rundown suburbs? They could be stragglers from the building Owen and Manny were headed to, but Ellie’s gut told her this was something else.

_I'm like evil, I get under your skin_

_Just like a bomb that's ready to blow_

_  
'Cause I'm illegal, I got everything_

_  
That all you women might need to know_

Ellie breathed deeply, allowing the music to distract her for a moment before she turned the corner, and she caught the last bit of what the guy said.

“But why does he need _the vaccine_ , anyway?”

Ellie’s heart stopped cold, and she tightened the grip on her revolver. “The Vaccine” was the drug Lev’s mom was hooked on, what turned people into mindless zombies, doing whatever anyone who controlled their supply told them to do. It turned people into demons.

But how had it gotten to the East Side? It was impossible, with 24-hour patrols and hundreds of Vipers, no one could slip the drug into their territory without someone knowing. Unless… Ellie’s grip on her gun grew so hard it began cutting into her skin. Unless it was someone the Vipers either trusted or protected.

Someone _exactly_ like Sarah.

Was this it then, the reason she’d come back? Joining The Phantoms wasn’t enough, so she’d returned to bring down the entire East side? She couldn’t be that crazy, right? 

Ellie stopped suddenly when the Scorps she was trailing turned at a house and knocked three times at a side door. When it opened, a hand quickly shuffled them in and snapped the door closed again.

Ellie swallowed, and stuck in the shadows as she walked to the side of the house and stopped at the window, where she could just barely make out the voices.

“Come on, Talia, you know Firefly better than anyone. If he finds out about this…”

“You think I don’t know that?” the voice from before, most likely Talia’s, responded, “The King will protect us as long as we keep our end of the deal.”

“I don’t think she means Jesus,” Abby whispered, appearing at Ellie’s side. She only nodded, wanting to catch every word, because out of the three gang leaders: The Phantom King was the only one Ellie had never seen, and they were the only person Joel refused to tell her about.

“Look, I’m going to wait outs-” he was cut off by a loud gunshot, and Ellie flinched, glancing wildly at Abby, who only shook her head and pressed her finger to her lips.

“You got the stuff, or not?”

Ellie snuck a glance over the window, and the sight made her blood run cold; not because of the dead Scorp, but because of the table _full of them_ surrounding Eugene, a veteran Viper, and… Joel?

Ellie’s eyes nearly popped out of her head and she crouched back down next to Abby. 

“Joel’s in there- and Eugene,” She whispered.

“What the _hell_?”

Ellie didn’t respond, only moved back towards the window so she could see.

Under the table, Eugene was slowly reaching towards his side, for the holster Ellie knew he always wore, but froze when he looked through the window just in time to see the top of Ellie’s head duck back down. Talia caught the moment and pulled her own gun out.

“You tell someone I was coming?”

“No, no one.”

“You sure about that?”

“Enough,” Ellie heard Joel’s voice boom so loud it practically rattled the walls. “Truth is,” Joel said, standing up, “We don’t got your stuff, kid. And we ain’t got no deal with your Phantom King to help distribute. But we _do_ have video proof that you’re conning Mr. Firefly. I’m sure he’d love to know you’re batting for a new team.”

“And to think,” Eugene chuckled, “Betrayed by his own daughter.”

A gunshot rang out, and chaos erupted in the small house. Ellie couldn’t tell who’d fired the first shot, but it didn’t matter, everyone was shouting, things were breaking, and it sounded like a stampede was making its way through the house.

“What are you doing?” Abby asked when Ellie started kicking around the bushes, looking for wires to cut, a plug to pull, anything that would pause the fight long enough for her to jump in.

“A distraction…” Ellie squinted around at her surroundings until her eyes landed on a stray brick tucked in a corner, forgotten by builders. 

“Step back,” she said, gesturing for Abby to get out of the way, but froze, ready to throw, when Riley’s voice echoed through her head.

_“Brick effing master!”_

_“That was just lucky,” Ellie had responded, looking down from the junkyard roof at all the bricks that had missed the car she was supposed to hit._

_“A deal’s, a deal, I get to ask you one serious question.”_

_“You just did,” Ellie smirked._

_“Fine, two questions.”_

_Ellie exhaled loudly, “Shoot.”_

_“What will it take for us to get back to how we were?”_

_Before Riley had ran away without telling her?_

_“Ah, spaceship.”_

_Riley gave her a look, and Ellie sighed; how was she supposed to say that her massive crush was the real reason it had hurt when she’d left?_

_“Just… keep doing what you’re doing. It’s working.”_

Ellie gripped the brick harder, pulling herself out of the memory. If she’d only kissed her then, forgiven her sooner, maybe Riley would’ve trusted her enough to go after Sarah alone. Maybe it would be _her_ standing beside Ellie instead of Abby.

Not wasting anymore time, Ellie threw the brick into the window, shattering the glass with a loud boom, and mounted the window, landing with a crunch. Bodies were everywhere, punching, scratching, but Ellie had her gun held steady at Talia, who’d ducked to cover her head from the flying glass.

“Ellie,” she turned, catching Joel’s eye in relief. He was fine, but she didn’t see Eugene anywhere. Abby jumped in beside her and rushed to the right, which led to some sort of kitchen.

Ellie turned back to Talia, but before she could get a good look, the woman lunged, sending them both flying backwards through the window, knocking all of the air out of her lungs.

Ellie struggled, but the woman had her pinned, a mad look in her eyes.

“Shoot, and she’s dead,” Talia said, holding a shard of glass against Ellie’s throat as Joel rushed to the window. She tried bucking her hips, but the Scorp was too strong, and fighting only made her push the glass in deeper.

It was only when she deflated, resting her head on the grass with a soft thud, that she finally got a good look at who she’d been following. The woman was startling familiar, with dark hair, freckles, and brown eyes.

“Dina?” she rasped.

No, something was off- those weren’t the eyes that had convinced her to let Jesse go, or made her blush before practice. These were hard, calculated, dull. But they widened in recognition when the name left her lips.

“What… how,” she took a breath, loosening the grip on Ellies wrists, “Where did you hear that name?”

A deep yell snapped both of their heads to the right, where it looked like a tank was charging towards them, rifle pointed. Seeing her opportunity, Ellie twisted again, almost escaping Talia’s grip in time before Abby rammed into them. Almost, but not quite.

A sharp sear cut over her right eye, where Talia’s makeshift weapon slipped in the scuffle, and Ellie cried out, clamping her hand over the spot in pain.

Abby fought with Talia until she got her trapped in a wrestling hold, knee pressed into the woman’s back.

“You okay over there?”

“Fine,” Ellie breathed, pressing harder on her face trying to stop the bleeding, “Always late for your shift.”

“I think,” Abby grunted, pressing harder into Talia, “What you meant to say was thank you.”

Ellie stood up a little too quickly, and had to grab the side of the house to steady herself, “Yeah,” she nodded, looking Abby in the eyes, “Thank you.”

“Course,” the older girl grunted, a little surprised by Ellie’s sincerity, “Maybe next time you’ll think of this moment when you “forget” to clean the grill after your shift. I always have to scrape off the char from all the burgers you burn.”

“ _Excuse me_ ,” Ellie laughed, “I don’t burn… that many of them.”

“You do realize the only reason you haven’t been fired is because you’re Tommy’s niece.” She said it as a statement, not a question.

“Whatever,” Ellie snorted, but smiled.

Joel dropped down through the window, followed closely by Eugene. Ellie didn’t even have to look to know that the house was full of unconscious Scorpions.

“Hey, Kiddo. You were supposed to be clearing the building…” he took Ellie’s face in his hands, moving hers away to survey the damage.

“We thought they were trespassing,” Abby said from the ground.

“Eugene and I figured it would be better to keep you kids away from this part of the operation. Backfired,” he said as an afterthought.

“Switch blade,” he said, holding his hand out.

Ellie pulled it out of her pocket and Joel cut a shred of his shirt sleeve and handed it to her.

“Where is Eugene, by the way?” She asked, putting pressure on the still-bleeding cut.

“Cleaning up in there- let’s circle back and then check on your team.” 

“What about her?” Ellie asked, gesturing to Talia with her gun. There was an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach. Dina hanging around a Scorp at the rink, and now _another one_ not only recognizing her name, but looking just like her?

Something was _very_ wrong.

“She’s coming with us, I have some-”

“Joel!”

All three turned at Owen’s panicked voice and rushed out to the street to meet him.

“What happened?” Joel asked, spotting Owen’s hands and shirt, which were stained red.

“Manny,” he panted, “They killed him. He’s dead.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, that was a long chapter guys! I thought it would be SO interesting if it were Talia that gave Ellie her scar, something that may or may not come up again when Dina discovers what happened *wink, wink*
> 
> I'm going to take a break, so next update will be Friday or Saturday!
> 
> I hope you liked it and thanks so much for reading!! :)


	6. Masks On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellie has a much needed conversation with Joel and Sarah, partakes in some vandalism, and meets someone unexpected.

“Stop moving,” Sarah said, tilting Ellie’s head back up into the light.

“Sorry,” she grunted through the rag she was biting down on. It was hard to sit still for stitches when the others were interrogating Talia in the room over. The woman that was the cause of what she was sure to be a permanent eyebrow slit: Dina’s sister. Ellie took in a sharp breath when Sarah pulled the thread through again, but a few minutes later she’d knotted the stitch and was sitting across from her on a bar stool.

“Drink the orange juice before you pass out,” she said, gesturing to the food Ellie had already refused twice. She frowned, winced, and then finally conceded, taking a sip. With a glance at the clock, she saw it was nearly three in the morning. There was no way she was making it to her eight A.M. Chem class.

“I forgot how sensitive you are,” Sarah said.

“I am _not_ sensitive,” Ellie said, taking an angry bite of beef jerky, the only food they’d been able to find in the Viper warehouse they’d arrived at. She glared at her older sister, who looked the same as she always had, short blonde hair, blue eyes. She was one of those people that attracted attention, drew eyes in a way Ellie never had. She was beautiful.

“Go ahead,” she said after a moment under Ellie’s harsh gaze, “Ask me.”

“Why’d you do it?” Ellie stood up, “Why’s Joel protecting you, why are you here?”

“Believe it or not,” Sarah said, holding her hands in front of herself, hoping to pacify the situation, “I’m not the bad guy here.”

“Why?” Ellie asked again, hands balled into fists.

“I sent her,” Joel said loudly, walking into the room, arms crossed.

“ _What_?”

“Sit down, Ellie.”

She looked in between them, mouth open in shock, but did what he said. When Joel took that tone, it was best to listen. 

“What you just saw- it’s a problem we’ve been trying to deal with for a long time. The Phantoms have been spreading The Vaccine, and” he winced, rubbing his beard, “I have reason to suspect one of our own is helping. I thought by taking those buildings near the border and setting the Scorps up, they’d lead us to the mole. But it’s more complicated than that.”

“What,” Ellie, said, so angry her finger was shaking as she pointed, “Does that have to do with _Sarah_ joining The Phantoms?”

“Dad sent me in,” Ellie snapped her head towards Sarah, a nasty expression on her face, but she only kept talking. “I was trying to find the source of The Vaccine- you take out the leader…”

“The followers scatter,” Joel finished, uncrossing his arms, “I’m sorry we didn’t tell you, baby girl, but It’s my job to keep everyone in the Eastside safe, including you.”

“I don’t need you to protect me,” Ellie spat, “I’ve been doing this longer than half the members older than me. If you would’ve told me, I could’ve helped, could’ve done… something-” her voice broke, Riley’s face flashing before her eyes again. 

“I’m more than aware you can hold your own, but I will not have you anywhere near the Phantoms,” his eyes grew hard, “I won’t.”

“So you lied to me instead.”

Sarah started to speak again, but Joel held up his hand to stop her, and moved closer to Ellie.

“You left without saying anything to me,” Ellie said, looking at her sister. And it was the truth; She felt like a disease, like a fungus, because no one she’d ever loved had stayed. Not Riley, not Tommy, not Sarah. No one except for Joel.

“The only people who knew about this were Sarah, Eugene, and me. You may not understand this now, but you will when you have to make calls like this one day.” 

He pulled Ellie in for a hug that Sarah quickly joined too, but she didn’t reciprocate it. Ellie just stood there, hearing her sister apologize in her ear, mind going a million miles a minute.

“When those Scorps we took out wake up, they’re going to tell Firefly. And the Phantom King.”

Joel pulled away, but held her by the shoulders, “What we learned today is more important than a few more gunfights. The Scorpions are falling apart, and it’s because of that damn Vaccine. The girl in there is working for the Phantoms behind her father’s back, and we have someone in our ranks that’s dealing.”

“Before long we’ll be overrun with traitors and demons too,” her sister said. 

Ellie pulled away, and looked at Joel and Sarah.

“A ‘few more’ gunfights? People are dying,” Ellie’s voice was rising in pitch, and she hated it. The way Joel and Sarah were looking at her, it was like she was fourteen years old again, trying to speak her mind among veteran Vipers.

“First Riley, now Manny… who’s next? Abby? Owen? _You_?” She couldn’t lose Joel- anyone else she could bear. She’d done it before, could do it again, but not him. Not him.

“Swear to me,” Ellie said, “Swear to me that everything you’ve said is true.”

The atmosphere in the room was tense, uncomfortable, but she needed this, needed to know for sure. 

“I swear,” Joel said.

Ellie looked at Sarah, waiting.

“I swear,” she said, a crease appearing between her eyebrows, but a tight smile making its way across her face. “I’m so sorry we hurt you, El.”

It was what she’d wanted to hear, what she was hoping to hear, so why did it feel so wrong? Why was there a tightness in the back of her throat that hadn’t been there before?

“Okay,” Ellie said, releasing her fists, “Okay.”

Joel stood there for a moment longer, before nodding to himself and nudging his head towards the door. “Come on- maybe you can get something out of her.”

Ellie and Sarah followed Joel out of the room, and down a hall stacked full of crates, Viper supplies. Abby and Owen were sitting on a pair, and Ellie stopped to talk to them as Joel and her sister kept walking.

Ellie squatted down so she could be eye to eye with them.

“They took his body,” Abby said, through her teeth, face a mask of fury.

“What?” Ellie looked at over Owen, who was staring at the floor, one arm draped over Abby’s shoulders.

“When we went back, Manny was gone.”

“I’m sorry, this is my fault.” The tightness in Ellie’s throat grew almost unbearable, and she had to focus on breathing.

“What the hell do you mean this is your fault?” Abby asked, touching Ellie’s shoulder to get her attention. “Did _you_ aim that gun?”

“No.”

“Did _you_ pull the trigger?”

“No, but-”

“Then stop that,” Abby said, giving her a little shove, “I don’t want any of that bullshit, you hear me?”

Abby didn’t look away until Ellie nodded.

“We’ll get them,” Owen said, clicking the safety of his gun off and back on again, “I promise you we will.”

Ellie nodded again and stood up, “We will,” she echoed. Abby nodded, but didn’t’ say anything, and Ellie offered her a small smile before following Joel and Sarah again.

“What do we need from her?”

“Anything you can get,” Joel said, leaning against the wall, “Why she betrayed Firefly, what The Phantom King promised her, who else is looking for the drug. We need answers.” 

Ellie had begun to put a lot of the pieces together on the ride to the warehouse, even though her eyebrow had been throbbing like crazy. Who Talia was, her relation to the gang, and how Dina fell into the equation, surrounded by Scorpions, but oblivious.

“Here’s what’s going to happen,” Ellie said, straddling the chair across from the one Talia was tied to. “You’re going to answer my questions, or I’m going to tell your sister Dina the truth about your family.”

…

“We’re in hot water already, questioning Firefly’s girl, you really think I was going to make it worse by holding her longer? She don’t know anything, Eugene. Keeping her would only make things worse.”

“I don’t think he’d mind so much if he knew she’s been doing pickups for the king.”

Ellie stared at her ceiling, listening from her room, unable to sleep. Her door was closed, but the walls in their loft were paper-thin, and to top it off, since the entire building was a renovated fire station, she had a giant hole in the floor for the fireman’s pole they’d left in. She could hear every creek of the floor, and clink of glasses, especially when the bar was open.

“So what now? We’re in the same boat as we were before, and Alvarez is going to want us to do something immediately. This was his _son_.”

Ellie was just beginning to drift into a dreamless sleep when a distant voice woke her.

“Ellie.”

Her eyes snapped open and she fumbled for the knife lodged into her bedside table, disoriented. The voice called her name again, and she recognized it that time, stopping the frantic search for her switchblade.

“Lev?”

Ellie rubbed at her eyes before getting up and padding over to the fireman’s pole in her socks. In the darkness below she could just barely make out his form squinting up at her.

“Come on, hurry,” he whispered.

Ellie pulled her scuffed Vans on her feet, grabbed her jacket, and slid down the pole.

“Hey-” she yawned, “is everything okay?”

“Follow me.”

Worried, Ellie jogged through the empty bar behind him, down the block, and to a waiting van.

“Get in, Miller,” Abby said, sticking her head out of the passenger’s seat.

“What’s going on?”

Uncertainty flashed across her face, “Did you mean what you said back there? About getting them back?”

“Of course.”

“Then get in.”

Ellie ducked into the van before Lev, and he slid the door closed behind them. Owen was sitting in the driver’s seat but met her eyes in the rearview before speeding off.

Ellie flicked the clasp on her switchblade open and closed in nervousness as he drove like a madman through the empty streets, until he skidded to a stop in the exact same place they’d danced to AC/DC earlier.

He cut the engine and got out. Lev did the same, but Ellie lingered until it was just her and Abby.

“Are you sure it’s a good idea for Lev to come? He’s just a kid.”

Abby turned to face Ellie, “Manny was his friend too. He’ll be with me the whole time, I won’t let anything happen.”

“Okay,” she nodded, and got out. The truth was, Lev wasn’t a kid anymore, not really. None of them were.

Abby and Ellie met Owen at the trunk, and he held a satchel out to each of them. With a quick peek inside she discovered they were loaded down with cans of spray paint. 

“Tag as many buildings as you can, keep your distance, if you see anyone,” Owen’s eyes grew hard, “Give them a taste of Viper venom.” 

Off to the side, Abby was tightening the aerosol mask straps on Lev’s head, and Ellie chewed the inside of her cheek before turning back to Owen and accepting her own mask.

“Jackets?” she asked, trying to pull hers off.

“The Scorps don’t deserve our respect,” Owen spat, “Keep it on.”

She didn’t like the look in his eyes, but she only nodded. This was the way things were; if you get hit, you hit back a thousand times harder.

“When you’re lost in the dark…” Ellie started as Owen shut the trunk.

“Look for the light,” Abby and Lev said back. Owen remained silent.

“Masks on,” Ellie said, pulling hers over her face, and departing from the group.

It felt wrong, sneaking through Scorpion territory in the middle of the night with her jacket on, but she didn’t feel bad about it. The only thing she could compare it to is the feeling of knowing you’re doing something you shouldn’t be, but at the same time, knowing it was justified. And this was.

Ellie already had her target planned out; she made little tags here and there as she wandered deeper into the Southside, but she saved most of her paint for the highest spot in that side of town, where she knew everyone would see it. She knew Abby had been thinking of it, but would never dare because of her fear of heights.

So _she_ was going to do it for her.

Ellie wasn’t afraid of falling, but she didn’t look down either, as she climbed the rusty ladder rungs that would take her up to the water tower. She was about 150 feet in the air and had no way to catch herself if she were to slip.

When Ellie reached the top, she slung her bag to the ground and got to work, thankful for the railing along the side that helped keep her balance. She used all of the paint, wrapping a giant viper around the water tower like it was squeezing it to death. It may have been a little overkill, adding shading and cracks to make it look like the tower was about to burst, but she was proud of the final product, and did her best not to marvel at her handiwork for too long since the sun was coming up.

Ellie didn’t brag about her piece when she met the others back at the van; they’d hear all about it once the Scorps came out of their holes and started talking and posting about what they’d done.

Instead of heading back home, Ellie got Owen to drop her off at Midtown U. But didn’t head towards her eight A.M., which she ironically would be able to get to in time.

She slipped through the doors of the ice rink, exhausted. Ellie barely made it to the bleachers before collapsing into a seat in the front row. Her eyes slid shut and didn’t open again until she felt an incessant tugging at her hair.

“Stop, that,” she muttered, wanting to sleep just a little longer.

It did, and she was just drifting off again when she felt something tickling her face.

Ellie snapped her eyes open, and was nearly blinded by the bright lights.

“I _said_ -”

Ellie froze, unsure what to do. Standing in front of her was a kid, maybe two or three, with big brown eyes and a shy smile. And he was… giggling at her.

“Um… hi?”

When was the last time she’d seen a baby, let alone talked to one? Could babies, toddlers she guessed, this age even talk? The kid laughed, and went back to tugging her hair, which he could only do because she’d slumped slow low down the seat in her sleep.

“What’s you name?” She asked, gently pulling his small hand away from her hair and stretching.

He smiled again, “J.”

“J? Your name is J? As in the letter? Who names their kid…”

Ellie trailed off as she finally woke up completely and heard voices. Near the opposite set of bleachers across the rink she spotted two people yelling at each other. She squinted her eyes to see better, but it was easy to figure out who they were.

Jesse and Dina. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys are doing well! I'm finally on Thanksgiving break, so I'll be writing a lot!! 
> 
> Ellie finally got a little bit of closure about what happened six months ago when Sarah left, but she still feels weird about the whole thing. I don't blame her, with the crazy environment she lives in. Something definitely seems a little fishy about the whole thing 👀
> 
> I'm curious: what are your thoughts on Abby? Like her? Hate her? 
> 
> Next chapter is in Dina's perspective, and it picks up right where this one leaves off. I can't wait to share it!!


	7. Potato

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dina is pissed at Jesse, talks to Lev, and discovers Ellie talking to... a potato?

The first time Dina had seen Ellie was the start of the semester walking with a really young kid, and in that moment, she knew that she’d fall. Maybe not right away, but eventually, soon, one day. The problem was, Ellie had chronic tunnel vision.

As many times as she’d tried to catch those green eyes, they were always trained either on the ground, or straight ahead. The only time she’d seen Ellie smile was when she was talking with people with the same jacket as her, or with the little boy. Other than that, she always wore a straight face with a slight frown, as if daring someone to talk to her.

They had Survey of Chemistry 2 together, and Ellie, who always sat in the front, hadn’t even _looked_ at the other people in their class. Hadn’t even noticed Dina sitting a row behind her, whereas _she_ had memorized the back of Ellie’s head. The way she slouched in her seat but took more notes than anyone in class. How she twisted the ring around her finger when she was thinking, or twirled her pencil in her hand when she was bored. 

The longer Dina looked at the half up- half down hair style Ellie wore, the more she wanted to know about the girl. Ellie was a mystery, and enigma she wanted to decode and make her own.

So, Dina made it her personal mission to get Ellie to notice her. First it started off with attending every hockey games, then it became lingering around after in hopes of accidentally bumping into her, and now it was becoming the team manager. As mysterious as she was, Dina felt like she knew Ellie, even though they’d never spoken before. Every now and then you find someone like that: someone you’re pulled to with no explanation.

It didn’t make any sense to Dina how someone who seemed so gentle, always deep in thought, would join the Vipers. She didn’t think too much on it though; good people did terrible things all the time.

“Dina.”

She looked up from her oatmeal at her mom, who was bustling around the kitchen, already dressed in her stiff looking Police uniform.

“Yes?”

They had a strained relationship at best.

“Maybe you should stay home today- I got a call, we’re expecting a lot of calls today, the Vipers and Scorpions are going at it again, and I know that school of yours is full of them.”

And risk not being able to talk to Ellie for the third day in a row? Absolutely not.

Dina rolled her eyes and looked over at JJ, who was smushing his banana with a spoon.

“I can take care of myself, and besides, why would they mess with me, anyway? Jesse’s the one wrapped up in all of that- I’ve got nothing to do with it.”

“The Vipers have seen you two together, that put’s a target on your back.”

“A _target_? The only reason we’re even amicable is because of JJ.”

“Just…stick around him today,” Jacob, her father said, walking in from the hallway to the right.

“Shouldn’t I want to do the opposite?” She asked, looking between her parents, “If it’s him that’s associated with this stuff?”

“Jesse has a good head on his shoulders,” Jacob said, “It’s safer to stay with him than away.”

“That would be a lot easier if he was actually on time,” Dina said, looking over at the clock in annoyance. “He was supposed to drop JJ at Robin’s an _hour_ ago.” 

“Give him the benefit of the doubt,” he said, “I’m sure he just got caught up with something.”

Dina rolled her eyes, having never understood his constant confidence in Jesse, even though he’d gotten her _pregnant_ at nineteen. She kept her retort to herself however, when she noticed her father looked distracted, the normal frown across his forehead even more prominent that usual.

“Dad, is everything okay? Are you worried about going to work?”

The last time she’d seen him so stressed the bank her father worked at had gotten robbed by Scorps. Was that what this was about? It checked out- most of her father’s stress seemed to come from being worried about the gangs that ran rampant throughout their city. 

“No,” he said, taking a sip of his coffee, “It’s nothing. Why don’t you just drop JJ off at his mom’s?”

Dina flinched at the words he’d chosen; it had always been a sore spot for her that Robin had adopted JJ. Sure, she got it, she was in no way ready to raise a baby when JJ was born, and Jesse was even less, but to have carried him for nine months only for him to call someone else mom was gut wrenching.

“You still haven’t taken me to get a new car, remember?”

Her dad again made a strange expression, “Right- well, I’ll take you to school then.”

“School? I can’t take JJ to class.”

It wasn’t the entire truth; she was mostly just afraid of scaring Ellie off because she had a kid, even if he had been adopted. 

“I don’t want you going to the Southside today, end of discussion. Jesse will have to pick JJ up from Midtown U.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose, utterly frustrated. Only a few more months, she reminded herself, before she’d have enough saved to move out. With the extra money from the team manager position she should be able to make rent easily and get out from under her parent’s extreme overprotectiveness.

“Fine.”

…

Dr. Mark had been incredibly understanding when she’d shown up to Survey of Chem with JJ in tow. Dina kept him busy with coloring sheets as she tried to focus on the lesson but kept failing when she noticed the empty seat in front of her. Ellie may not say much, but her absence was like a gaping hole in Dina’s morning.

With everything her parents had said that morning, she couldn’t help but worry. Had something happened? She’d seen how readily Ellie had been to fight Jesse just because he was a Scorpion, so the idea that there were members from _both_ gangs running around the city fighting terrified her.

After class, Dina stood outside the library, nervously twisting her hamsa bracelet as she held JJ’s hand. The kid she always saw Ellie hanging around has his nose stuck in a thick looking textbook, but he had large circles under his eyes, as if he hadn’t slept at all.

What was she supposed to tell him? That she’d been spying on them and that’s how she knew he was Ellie’s friend? That she was worried something had happened to a girl she’d only talked to twice?

The kid looked up before she could figure it out.

“You lost?” He asked, offering a small smile.

“Oh, um, no,” Dina said, suddenly feeling awkward, something that didn’t happen often to her. She tried hard not to stare at the scars that went across the sides of his face, a detail she’d never noticed because she’d only ever seen him from far away.

“I was wondering where Ellie is- she wasn’t in class, and-” Dina came up with an idea, “Today’s mandatory practice- I’m the team manager of the Wolves.”

He nodded, but frowned a little bit, likely wondering how she’d managed to connect the tall redhead to him.

“I’ve seen you two together before, so I figured you might…”

He nodded again, gave JJ a glance, and returned his attention back to her.

“You’ve been watching her.”

“What?” Dina’s entire face grew hot, “No, definitely not. I was just… just concerned about practice and everything. Well, if you don’t know anything…” she scooped JJ up trying to make a speedy getaway to avoid further embarrassment.

“Wait,” he said quietly, “Maybe I can help. My name’s Lev.”

Dina slowly turned, relief flooding through her as she sat across from him, placing JJ in her lap.

“You _have_ been watching her, though. I walk with Ellie everyday- I’ve seen you around.”

Dina looked away, but didn’t deny his observation.

“Why are you so interested in her?” Lev’s tone was very protective, and almost suspicious. 

How was she supposed to answer that? Because Dina loved her voice, and the way she walked, it was as if she wasn’t aware of anyone else in the entire world, which she obviously wasn’t since she hadn’t noticed Dina staring before.

And she was kind. She’d seen Ellie get stuck holding the door for as long as ten minutes before, as student after student walked through, but she hadn’t complained, hadn’t even raised an eyebrow. And those eyes… Dina had finally been able to see them up close, and they were dangerous, but soft. Calculating, but shy.

“I want to switch lab partners,” Dina finally said.

Lev smirked, “Try again.”

“She seems cool?”

Lev raised his eyebrows, and Dina sighed in frustration, “Don’t make me say it.”

“Do you want my help, or…”

This kid was evil, with his challenging smile and cocky attitude. He knew _exactly_ what he was doing.

“I like her, alright? I… she’s… I want to know her, _really_ know her. I don’t know why, it’s just…” Dina trailed off, and finally Lev looked satisfied.

“So, you’re essentially asking me advice on how to get into Ellie’s pants.”

“WHAT?” She glanced down at JJ, but he was busy playing with her hamsa bracelet. “No, I just, of course not, I-” Dina kept sputtering until Lev dropped his straight face and burst out laughing.

“Relax,” he laughed, “You know, if you want to hang around Ellie, you’re going to have to get used to people messing with you, especially her- she speaks fluent sarcasm.”

“So you’ll help me?”

“Yes…” a worried look flashed across his face, “but I have to warn you, Ellie comes with a lot of baggage.”

“I’m not holding her up to some standard or something,” Dina said quickly. 

No, I mean,” Lev sighed, “her girlfriend was killed six months ago- she was a Viper too. It’s… really… she’d never say it, but it can be a lot sometimes.”

“Holy shit,” Dina whispered, that time not even trying to cover JJ’s ears.

“Yeah, so just…”

“Got it,” she nodded.

“As to where Ellie is, I honestly have no idea. We got here and she bolted, and she never answers her phone, so…” he shrugged. “I wouldn’t worry though; she can take care of herself. Here- I’ll give you my number.”

Dina pulled it out of her pocket and handed it to him. Several taps later, he handed it back, and picked up his book again.

“I’ve known Ellie my whole life- she’s like my sister,” he paused for a moment, “Is my sister. I’ll help you, but if you hurt her… I don’t think she can carry much more, her shoulders are already full.”

Dina nodded, “Thank you, Lev.”

When she glanced at her phone, she realized she had five missed calls, all from Jesse, and her stomach sank. “I’ll see you around,” she said, hurriedly getting up to call him back.

…

Dina set JJ down, not worried about him wondering off too far since there was no way he could wander onto the ice, and walked over to Jesse, who looked just as angry as she felt.

“Where were you this morning?” she snapped.

“Where was _I_? Where were you? I’ve been waiting here for forty-five minutes.”

“Stop overexaggerating,” she said, glaring, “You wouldn’t have had to wait, if you would’ve picked him up in the first place.”

“I had to take care of some business,” he said. It was then that Dina noticed the bruise across the side of his face.

“Were you in a fight?”

“I… You know what the Vipes did to the Southside, Dina? Of course you don’t,” he muttered to himself, shaking his head.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means-” he seemed to catch himself, and only shook his head, “Look. I’m here now.” He frowned suddenly, looking around, “Where’s JJ?”

Dina realized her mistake, and whipped around too, looking for their son. It took a few seconds to realize he wasn’t on their side of the rink since the place was empty, so Dina and Jesse split up, him heading towards the hall leading to the other side of the building, and her the bleachers on the opposite side of the rink.

She heard giggling, and relief washed over her until she turned the bend and froze. Ellie was sitting on the floor, letting JJ climb over her legs like a jungle gym.

“I hate to be the one to break it to you, but someone’s got to…” Ellie paused dramatically, “you look like a potato, kid. A cute potato, but still, a potato. Now personally, I prefer fries considering my line of work, but I’m an open-minded person.”

Dina just watched as Ellie sat with her back towards her, and JJ laughed, putting his tiny hand on the side of Ellie’s face. There she was again, in that Vipers jacket, not even _trying_ to keep the hard façade most gang members always wore up.

The movement quickly ended however, when JJ spotted Dina and grinned, jumping off of Ellie, and running towards her. Ellie turned, a smile still on her lips, and stood up, looking rumpled and cute.

“That thing yours?”

“Yeah-yes,” Dina laughed nervously for the second time that day. Why was it she turned into a nervous schoolgirl every time Ellie talked to her? She hated it, but loved it, because no one had ever made her feel that way before: unsure, on the edge of her seat, like something incredible was about to happen.

Dina was about to say something else when she noticed the line of stitches running down the corner of Ellie’s eyebrow.

“What happened?”

Ellie looked away and shrugged, picking up her bag, “Ran into a pole.”

“ _A pole_.”

“Yeah- had spikes in it,” she shrugged, and tried to walk past Dina, but stopped when she spotted Jesse walking up, fists balled up at his sides.

“Hey mullet,” Ellie said, plugging the wire from her headphones into her phone, “Heard Santa left a little present for you Scorps to wake up to.”

Dina put JJ on her hip and moved in between them, already sensing the shift in tension.

“Yeah, ho, ho, ho,” he said, anger flashing in his eyes, walking faster, “You think that’s funny? Get the hell away from them,” he said, glancing at Dina and JJ. 

“I do, actually,” Ellie said, trying to sidestep Dina, but failing. “You killed one of ours, last night. Our little artwork was only the beginning.”

Jesse stopped walking and frowned, genuine confusion flickering across his face, “We didn’t.”

“You did.”

“We didn’t,” Jesse said again, moving closer, but some of the anger leaving his face. Dina looked between them both, but the fight seemed to have left them. Both the Viper and the Scorpion just looked incredibley confused.

“I would’ve heard about it, I was with Firefly all night,” Jesse said, glancing at Dina before returning his gaze to Ellie. “Whatever you heard, was wrong.”

“But-”

“Miller,” Jesse said, cutting her off, “It wasn’t us- I know because Scorps have been disappearing left and right. Just… gone.”

“The body,” Dina heard Ellie whisper under her breath.

Things were taking an odd turn, and Dina watched as Ellie and Jesse seemed to have a silent conversation, nodded, and both turned to Dina.

“Sorry for being late,” Jesse said, pulling JJ from Dina’s arms, “Won’t happen again.”

With a final glance at Ellie, who’d seemed to have settled on a truce, Jesse walked off, JJ tugging at the earring in his ear.

“What was that about?” Dina asked, turning to Ellie, who’d been about to walk in the opposite direction.

“Nothing,” she said, and started walking that time. She didn’t speed off the way Jesse had though, so Dina was able to keep her pace.

“Do you need the notes from class?”

“Hmmm?” Ellie glanced at her, as if she hadn’t even noticed Dina was walking at her side.

“Do you want my chem notes?”

“Oh,” Ellie shrugged, “Sure.”

Dina noticed that Ellie’s hand kept twitching to her back pocket, and she grabbed onto her arm, pulling them to a stop.

“Did a pole kill your friend, too?”

Ellie sighed and turned towards her. The aggression in her face, didn’t make Dina flinch, only intrigued her more.

“What’s it to you?”

“My sister died a year ago- I know what it’s like to lose someone.”

Ellie’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head at her words, and Dina would’ve laughed if the topic weren’t so serious.

“Your _sister_ died?”

“She did,” Dina nodded, “So if we’re anything alike, I’m guessing you won’t be going to any of your classes today?”

Ellie’s face returned to normal, but it looked forced. Dina could tell her mind was going a mile a minute. Maybe this was a bad time to make a move, but what did she have to lose?

“Come on- I want to show you something.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and delving into more of who Dina is in this story! Next chapter will be in her pov as well. 
> 
> Things are definitely getting more tense, especially with whatever Jesse and Ellie silently agreed upon. It seems as if Dina's parents have been lying to her more than Ellie originally thought.
> 
> Also, I love Lev, so expect more scenes with him in the future, and I thought it would be really interesting to include JJ. 
> 
> Tbh I really wanted to see a story where Dina was pining after Ellie instead of the other way around. What do you guys think? 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and for all of your comments and kudos, they really make my day! 
> 
> Have a great Sunday :)


	8. I Would’ve Worn My Boots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dina gets to know Ellie better, meets Tommy, and makes a decision that will change her life forever
> 
> The beginning is a reference to one of my favorite TLOU2 AU fics of all time, Orion's Belt by annabananagames

They were being given a tour of the universe, but Dina was looking at Ellie. Watching, as she leaned back in her seat, hands behind her head, looking more relaxed than Dina had ever seen her.

“And this,” the professor at the microphone said, “Is Orion’s Belt.” He used a laser to point up at the planetarium ceiling above, a dome where the stars were projected.

They were the only students in the theatre, and the professor had been thrilled when they’d arrived, Dina pulling Ellie along behind her.

“How’d you know I’d like this place?” Ellie asked, turning her head towards her. There was a soft smile on her lips, and Dina’s heart skipped a beat.

“I saw you in the front row when that astronaut did her speech last month.”

Ellie smiled in understanding, “Oh, you were there too?”

Dina shrugged, “Space is cool.”

“Hella.”

“Camelopardalis was discovered in 1612…” The professor droned on.

“That’s my favorite constellation,” Ellie said, pointing up to the ceiling, “See- it’s shaped like a giraffe. You know what Camelopardalis is Greek for?”

Dina shook her head, soaking in Ellie’s excitement.

“Camel leopard,” she tried to stifle her laugh with her hand, “Everyone’s always going on about how the Greeks were these wise philosophers or whatever, but they were really just a bunch of old dumbasses.”

Dina grinned, “What’s that make _us_?”

“Hmmmm,” Ellie scrunched up her nose, “Young _smartasses._ Bdmmm Tsssss.”

Dina, usually quick with comebacks, only smiled. She wanted to know everything about the girl that always sat in the front row in class, the girl that was different than anyone she’d ever met before.

“Why do you like it so much?”

“Like what?” Ellie blinked.

“You sure you’re in the smartass category?” Dina gave her a little shove, “The constellation. Why’s it your favorite.”

Ellie almost looked confused as to why she was asking, but Dina only smiled encouragingly, and the girl beside her sighed, tucking her arm under her head.

“When I was a kid I had the worst luck- still do. I was always getting scuffed up-”

“Must be all the poles you were running into,” Dina interrupted, eyeing the line of stitches across Ellie’s eyebrow.

Ellie ignored her comment and kept going. “One night I was out on the roof with my dad, Joel, after I had a pretty rough fall…” Ellie smiled, “he pointed up to the sky and said ‘kiddo, you have to be like this here giraffe. Strong, and brave, and proud. You make your own luck. So that’s what I do,” Ellie turned back to Dina, “I make my own luck. Or try to, anyway.”

“Is that really his voice?” Dina laughed, still stuck on Ellie’s deep, scratchy, impression.

“If it’s not, he’s doing a great job faking it. Oh!” she pointed up at the ceiling, “You see the one underneath? That’s Perseus.”

“You know a lot about this stuff, don’t you?”

“Well, yeah…” Ellie trailed off, “It’s our universe, you know? I want to know what’s out there. God, I’d kill to know how it feels to fly up there in a rocket- even if I never came back down.” Ellie said the last part quietly, but Dina still caught them.

“Could I come with you?” The words slipped out of Dina’s mouth before she could stop them, and she held her breath in anticipation. Ellie narrowed her eyes for a moment, studying her, before grinning.

“Yeah, you’re pretty small- I could probably fit you somewhere in the cargo hold.”

“Cargo hold? It’s not an airplane.”

Ellie shrugged, “My ship, my rules.”

Dina didn’t have a giraffe constellation, only her bracelet could be used to explain how she’d gotten so lucky, as the two fell back into an easy silence. A week ago Ellie didn’t even know her name, and now they were side by side, so close she could brush the stray hair behind Ellie’s ear, or touch the hand that was absentmindedly picking at the cracking armrest.

“So,” Ellie said, keeping her eyes trained to the stars, “You’ve got a boyfriend _and_ a husband.”

“God no,” Dina chuckled, trying to get Ellie to look at her again, but failing. “No, you were right. I was talking about Jesse the other night. It’s just… my ex who is the father of my son, who was adopted by said ex’s mother is kind of a mouthful. Boyfriend’s just easier, less you explain.”

The silence as the other girl digested her words was nearly unbearable. Was she upset? Angry?

“Well, for what it’s worth, potato is very cute,” Ellie finally said, glancing over. Relief flooded through Dina, not only because the other girl didn’t seem to be fazed by the complicated situation in the slightest, but because finally Ellie knew the truth, and maybe, just maybe, she had a chance.

“Ellie. His name is not potato.”

“Yeah,” Ellie propped herself up on her elbow, and Dina bit her lip, “He told me his name is J. You’ve scarred that kid for life.”

“JJ,” she laughed.

“Even worse,” Ellie threw herself back into the seat. After a moment, she sat back up again, “Wait- please don’t tell me he’s a-” Dina’s muffled laughter was all the confirmation Ellie needed.

“Jesse Junior? Seriously? That poor, innocent, child.”

The professor kept the show going even though their talking grew louder and louder, and their eyes searched each other’s instead of the galaxy above.

…

“Are you sure I don’t have to pay?” Dina asked as Ellie slid a bowl of Mac ‘N’ Cheese in front of her and sat in the booth seat across with her own plate of food.

“This is my Uncle Tommy’s place, plus-” Ellie swallowed a mouthful, “Employee discount.” After a few more bites, Dina saw Ellie glance at her phone, frown, and then put it away.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Ellie said, taking a bite of the burger she’d gotten for herself.

“Hey, Miller!” Dina turned to look to where Ellie’s eyes had darted behind her. Walking over was the most muscular woman she’d ever seen, with an upturned smirk and a blonde braid that fell over her shoulder.

“How’s it taste?”

Ellie glanced at Dina, before turning to the girl, “Like a burger.”

“Exactly,” Abby grinned, “Nothing like the charcoal you serve up every day.”

Dina laughed as Ellie flipped her off before taking another bite.

“Don’t you have a job to do or something?” Ellie asked when the woman leaned up against the booth.

“Don’t _you_ have…” Dina saw the blonde woman’s eyes flick to her for a split second, registering her presence, before looking back at Ellie. The previous joking twinkle in her eyes was gone, replaced with an icy cold that she once again focused on Dina.

“Abby, Dina, Dina, Abby,” Ellie said, doing her best to break the tension.

“Can I talk to you for a second?” Abby asked, not taking her eyes off of Dina’s.

Ellie stood up abruptly, “I’ll be right back,” she said. Ellie’s fingertips ghosted over her hand, and Dina rubbed at the brief point of contact, unsure if it had been done on purpose or not.

She watched with apprehension as Ellie followed Abby, not liking how the two glanced back at her as they talked. When they reached the hall Abby had come from, Dina noticed that once again Ellie’s hand kept finding her back pocket, as if checking to make sure something was still there.

Dina was so busy watching the interaction between the two women that she failed to notice a man walk up to her until he cleared his throat.

“Can I get you something else?”

Dina looked up to find a tall guy with a towel tossed over his shoulder and a pen and notebook in hand standing in front of the booth. Her eyes wandered to his name tag, which read “Tommy.”

“Oh,” Dina smiled, “You’re Ellie’s uncle?”

“Oh boy,” Tommy chuckled, “Don’t tell me you’re friends with that piece of work over there. He nudged his head over to the corner where Ellie and Abby stood, still whisper- arguing. 

“I hope I am,” Dina said, more to herself than to Tommy, who gave a deep sigh before sliding into Ellie’s seat.

“Now listen here…”

Dina braced herself for another speech similar to the one Lev had given her as Tommy picked up Ellie’s jacket from the seat.

“You see this?” He pointed to the patch on the back of the leather, which featured a large green viper with its mouth wide open, fangs ready to strike. “This will make people do things they normally wouldn’t. I left it behind, but that girl over there is in the very middle of it. I love the kid more than anything, but someone’s got to tell ya the truth. If I were you I’d be _very_ careful-”

“Hey Tommy,” Ellie said, making Dina jump a little. She hadn’t realized she’d been leaning towards Tommy as he talked, trying to take in as much as she could. Under Ellie’s gaze, she sat back, and watched as the Viper held her hand out for her jacket, Mac ‘N’ Cheese forgotten.

“Ellie,” Tommy smiled, getting up from the seat and pulling his niece in for a hug that was quickly reciprocated. He leaned heavily on the booth, and Dina’s eyes widened when she realized he had a bad leg. Was that because of the Vipers, and if so, was a life-altering injury, if not worse, in Ellie’s future too?

“Looking half dead there, old man.” Ellie said when she pulled away from the hug.

“You and I both know there’s only room for one old man in this city,” Tommy grunted, and Ellie frowned.

_What_ were they talking about? Dina looked around to see if she could get another glimpse of Abby, but she’d already disappeared.

“Heard your sister’s back in town.”

Ellie had a sister? Dina knew she shouldn’t be surprised- she’d been talking to Ellie for less than a week, but still. This felt like something she should’ve known about.

Dina watched as the red head slowly clenched and unclenched her fists, but said nothing to confirm or deny Tommy’s claim. Her uncle had obviously hit another point of tension, given Ellie’s response, but what held Dina’s attention was another thing she didn’t know about Ellie: she had a tattoo.

In her defense, she’d never seen Ellie without her jacket on, and because of that, the ink starting at the back of her hand and trailing underneath her sleeve had gone unnoticed.

“So who’s this? Yer date?”

Dina snapped back into focus, realizing she hadn’t introduced herself. From the corner of her eye, she saw Ellie, who’d gone from looking ready to pounce, to like a deer in headlights all within a couple seconds.

“I’m Dina…” she chanced another glance at Ellie, “Yes, I’m her date.”

A nervous pang went through Dina’s body- was this too far? Ellie had just gotten out of a relationship because her girlfriend had _died_. Was she crossing a line?

“Well, it was nice to meet you, Ms. Dina,” Tommy said, patting her shoulder before starting to back away, “Think about what I said,” he said to her, gave a small wink, and disappeared behind the counter.

“What did he say to you?” Ellie asked when they’d exited the diner.

“To use protection- too late, I was a teen mom,” Dina said, trying and failing to make Ellie laugh. “He said I should be careful, hanging around you,” she finally conceded under the girl’s unamused stare.

Ellie was silent for a moment before she responded. “He’s right,” Ellie said, avoiding Dina’s eyes.

They barely said a word as they walked back to campus, but it wasn’t the same comfortable silence it had been before. Ellie didn’t look angry per se, just very frustrated, and Dina caught a glimpse of silver when her hand reached for her back pocket for the millionth time.

Maybe it had been a bad idea, saying it was a date. Everything had been going so well up to then, and now Ellie was being weird. The thought that she’d ruined her chance ate away at her as they reached the rink.

In fact, Dina was nearly _certain_ of this fact when Ellie started heading towards the locker room without having said another word to her, but about hallway to the door, she paused.

“Just for the record,” Ellie turned back around, “If I’d have known this was a date, I would’ve worn my boots.”

Dina’s heart leapt, but she tried to keep calm.

“I’m going to hold you to that next time,” Dina said, gaze traveling from the ripped jeans down to the beat up Vans on her feet. She loved the way the tips of Ellie’s ears burned red as she looked away shyly.

“Deal.”

Practice went smoother than usual, which was surprising given how worried her parents had been about Viper and Scorpion tension, and there were members of both on the team. Dina was in the middle of transporting the team jerseys to the washroom when she heard muffled voices coming from the direction of the bleachers.

Wondering if one of the girls on the team had lost something, Dina poked her head around the corner, and what she saw baffled her, but was instantly clarified when she figured out what Ellie and Jesse’s silent conversation had meant earlier.

They’d agreed to meet at the same place that night.

“We’ll keep this between us until we know for sure. No need to get Firefly or the Old Man worked up about this unless it means something,” Jesse whispered.

“Agreed. Let’s go…” Ellie’s voice trailed off as she and Jesse walked towards the exit. Dina didn’t know what was going on, but in that moment, seeing Ellie and Jesse whispering, she decided she was going to figure it out.

Dina abandoned the laundry and grabbed her bag, calling a cab as she followed her ex and her… and Ellie, at a distance. The car was already waiting for her at the curb since she’d had to trek all the way across campus, but instead of giving the driver her address, she asked him to trail Jesse’s Mustang.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm such a sucker for Ellie and Dina and was practically squealing as I wrote this chapter, so I hope you guys enjoyed! Dina's definitely becoming very suspicious, and the decision to follow Ellie and Jesse will not only give her answers, but will change her life forever. Let me know what you guys think! 
> 
> I hope everyone's having a good week so far!
> 
> Thank you for reading and commenting!❤️


	9. The Weight of the Jacket

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse and Ellie come to an agreement and an unlikely group of allies forms.
> 
> TW: There's violence in this chapter. I'll never make it too graphic, but guns and switch blades are used in a fight.

“AC/DC _again_? Give me that-” Jesse held his hand out for Ellie’s phone, and she rolled her eyes.

“Not gonna happen, Scorp,” she said, reaching to crank up the volume.

“It's Jesse, not ‘Scorp’, and this is _my_ _car_ ,” he glowered, trying to snatch the aux cord out of her phone.

“You sure about that?” Ellie glanced in the back seat, which was littered with coloring pages, toys, and a car seat. “Looks like JJ’s marked his territory.”

Jesse cut his eyes towards her, tightening his grip on the wheel, and Ellie laughed. “Relax, man, you really think I’d hurt a kid?”

He looked over at her again, “I’ve seen Vipes do worse.”

“I’ve seen Scorpions do worse. So, how about this: just Jesse and Ellie then? Not Viper and Scorpion?”

“Yeah,” he said after a moment of thought, “We’re cool.”

She nodded, feeling more comfortable, and drummed her fingers against the passenger’s door as they wove through traffic. “Makes sense why you don’t have a bike now,” she said, “Can’t exactly strap the kid to the handlebars.”

Jesse looked over at her with a deep frown, but he didn’t hold it for long, and started laughing instead. “Can you imagine? Dina would skin my ass alive.”

“She would…” Ellie grinned and reached back to grab a rubber ball from the back seat. She threw it from hand to hand, “I’ve gotta be honest with you though man…” Jesse looked over at her expectantly, “you’re the ugliest soccer mom I’ve ever seen.”

“Screw you,” he said, but his posture was relaxed and an easy smile was on his lips. “Seriously though, turn that shit off,” he handed Ellie his phone to plug in, “Let me broaden your music horizons.”

“Yeah, okay,” Ellie scoffed.

Jesse’s idea of “broadening” her music taste was playing American Idiot by Green Day on loop as they sped through the streets in his sports car. By the time the car stopped, Ellie had pulled put her air guitar and Jesse was yelling the lyrics like a madman.

_Welcome to a new kind of tension_

_All across the alien nation_

_Where everything isn’t meant to be okay_

The music cut off when Jesse pulled the key out and looked over at Abby, who stood leaning against her bike with her arms crossed.

“Jesus, she on steroids or something?”

“Probably,” Ellie shrugged, opening her door and stepping out at the same spot near the Southside border that she had in the middle of the night to vandalize the place. Ellie was just about sick of the area.

“Come on, soccer mom,” Ellie said, bending down to see Jesse still in the car, “She doesn’t bite.” 

“I preferred Scorp,” he rolled his eyes, but opened his door as Ellie walked around the car. 

“Abby,” Ellie said, approaching the older girl. 

“Hey Miller,” she nodded, not taking her eyes off of Jesse. 

“Where’s Owen?”

“You think I trust him not to tell the old man about all this? I love him, but he’s a little snitch,” she said, gesturing to Lev, who Ellie had failed to notice because he was crouched down looking through the side bag on the bike.

“Hey, Levy,” Ellie said, giving Abby a pointed ‘Are you kidding me?’ look.

She only shrugged, “Can’t keep him sheltered forever- held his own well enough last night.”

“You don’t believe in me?” Lev looked up at her with his big puppy dog eyes.

“Stop trying to manipulate me,” Ellie snapped, but ruffled his hair. “Just be careful, this isn’t one of your video games where you get to try again if you get killed.”

“I know, El,” he sighed, a sad look in his face. Of course he did, Lev had been old enough when he’d been kidnapped to remember everything, including what they’d done to his sister.

“Okay- Jackets off,” Ellie said, tossing hers into the backseat of Jesse’s car.

“So, this is the guy, huh?” Abby crossed her arms. “Owen told me all about you, eyebrow ring.”

“Jesse,” he growled, glancing over at Ellie, “it’s Jesse.”

“Whatever- Miller told me you said there’s another Scorp coming where are they?”

“Almost here,” Jesse said, glancing at his phone. 

“Okay,” Ellie said, trying to refocus the cold gazes the two were giving each other on herself, “We need to figure out what to do.”

“We already have a plan,” Jesse frowned, “get to the two spots they were killed, see what we can dig up.”

“No, about Dina.”

“Dina?” Lev frowned, standing up. Across his shoulders was a bow and a quiver of arrows, the only weapon Joel had allowed him to train with.

“Yes…” Ellie frowned, “Firefly’s other daughter, Abby you didn’t tell him?”

“Hey-I picked him up _ten minutes ago_ ,” Abby raised her hand innocently.

“Dina, Dina?” Lev asked, “As in the girl in your chemistry class?”

“Yes?” It was Ellie’s turn to be confused, “is there something you know that I don’t?”

“No,” he said quickly.

“It’s not our problem,” Abby spoke up, “Let them deal with their own skeletons in the closet.”

The roar of a bike grabbed Jesse’s attention, but Abby and Ellie continued talking in whispers.

“I know you like her, but it isn’t a good idea to get involved with this.”

“I do _not_ -”

“You do,” Lev said, and Ellie shot him a glare.

“Why shouldn’t we?” Ellie asked, “I know what it’s like to be lied to, Abs, Joel let me think Sarah was a Phantom for months.”

Abby sighed, “And I get that, I do. What Sarah and Joel did was- is fucked up. Riley was… she was the glue, you know? Since she’s been gone, we’ve all kind of drifted apart. The older Vipes always stick together, but it’s harder for us.”

Ellie looked away, not wanting to talk about Riley, “Someone has to tell her.”

“Yes. But that person is _not_ going to be you,” Abby said, looking at her very seriously, “Firefly obviously hasn’t told her for a reason. You really want to be the one who does that? Think about this- if he were to find out it was you, he wouldn’t care who did it- he’d be after all of us.”

Ellie pulled her switchblade from her pocket, finally able to have it out in the open, and clicked the button over and over, watching as the blade flicked in and out.

“Answer me, Miller. Do you want to be the reason more of us die?”

“No,” Ellie looked up, and Abby patted her shoulder. 

“That’s what I thought.”

“Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me,” Ellie groaned, when the bike Jesse had been waiting for came to a stop in front of them.

“Ah, if it isn’t the most shit right winger in Jackson,” the girl said, pulling her helmet off and setting it on top of her seat.

“Shut the hell up, Nora,” Ellie said, flicking the switch blade out again as her teammate approached.

“Cool it,” Abby said in her ear as Nora only rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. “Okay, obviously you two can’t work together. Mullet and Ellie, you two check the Scorp spot out, me, Lev, and asswipe over here will check out our building.”

“Who died and put you in charge?” Nora asked, glancing over at Jesse, who seemed more than okay with Abby calling the shots.

“Our friends,” Lev said quietly, “Our friends died.”

Nora blinked, but then deflated and nodded, “That they did.”

“We meet back here in an hour- if one group doesn’t show up by then, the other will find you.” Abby turned to Ellie, “When you’re lost in the dark,”

“Look for the light,” Ellie said, giving Lev an encouraging thumbs up and ‘be careful’ before they walked off.

“So- Where are we headed?”

“There’s a couple abandoned buildings next to your little art mural on the water tower,” Jesse said, pulling a gun out of his leg holster to check the ammo.

“Hey- you have to admit, it looks pretty sick.”

“Don’t push it.” He shook his head and watched as Ellie shoved her revolver in the waistband of her pants, “I’m not dragging your body back if you shoot your own ass.” 

“ _Mom_ , you shouldn’t worry so much.”

Jesse rolled his eyes, and they crossed the border into the Southside. Ellie had been in Scorpion territory more times in the past few says than she had in a month, but it didn’t make her feel any less on edge. The night before had been different; it had been early morning, and she knew they didn’t have patrols so close to sunrise. But now it was barely dark, and she was walking alongside a Scorp feeling naked without her jacket. And to top all of that off, she felt like someone was watching her.

“Stop being so twitchy,” Jesse said, as Ellie flicked her switch blade open and shut in her hand. They hadn’t passed many Southsiders, but the lights in most of the houses were on, and the bars were overcrowded with laughing people and blasting music.

“Why doesn’t _she_ know about this?” Ellie asked, not wanting to risk saying the name aloud.

They crossed the street before he replied, “Because sometimes you’re so terrified of losing someone you’d do anything to keep them safe.”

Ellie didn’t like that logic at all; in fact, it sounded to her like doing what Firefly was would result in him losing Dina in an even worse way, because instead of being killed, she’d make the choice to cut him off.

“But Talia…”

“Exactly,” Jesse said, “She’s dead. You really thing Firefly’s going to let that happen again?”

“Jesse,” Ellie said, stopping him, no longer teasing him with his new nickname, “She’s not dead- she tried to _kill me_ yesterday.”

“That’s impossible, I went to her funeral,” he said, eyes wide, “We _all_ did.”

“I swear,” Ellie said, touching her eyebrow, which still stung, “It was her. She was the one who gave me this, she was with a whole group of Scorpions trying to get their hands on The Vaccine. Unless…” Ellies eyes widened, “Unless those weren’t Scorps.”

“You think she joined the Phantoms?”

“She said the king would protect her- what if Firefly sent her in for recon? Joel’s done that before,” Ellie said, leaving out the part about Sarah. 

“But that doesn’t make any sense,” Jesse said, “Firefly thinks she’s dead- everyone does.”

“I don’t think he does,” Ellie said, chewing on her lip, “From what I overhead yesterday, it sounded like he’s-”

Ellie cut off when she heard a clatter behind them, and pulled out her gun. “Someone’s following us.”

“We’re almost there,” Jesse whispered, looking in the direction Ellie was pointing her gun, “Let’s lose them. On my count, we’ll run, alright? Just follow me.”

Ellie slowly started backing away, gun trained towards the shadows as Jesse started counting down.

“Two…One.” With one glance back, Ellie took off after him, weaving between the buildings, running through the middle of a bar where they left people angrily shouting after them, and into an alley. 

“Help me out with this?” Jesse skidded to a stop near a dumpster, and waited for Ellie to grab the handles on the other side so they could move it. 

“You know what’s in there?”

“No idea,” he said, climbing on top of the bin and offering Ellie a hand up. She grabbed it, and watched as Jessed kicked the window in. “The building over is the one we need to get to, but we need to search this one too, there might be something here.” Neither of them said what the other was thinking; if the group Talia had been with yesterday really were phantoms, who knew how many there were wandering around the Southside. They’d need some place to keep hidden, and an abandoned building seemed like as good of a spot as any.

Ellie slid through the window first, and landed with a thump in the room, which was lined with rusty water heaters. The air was musty, and there was some sort of particles floating through the air. She pulled her shirt over her nose as a sort of makeshift mask, and looked up at the window Jesse was struggling to squeeze through.

“You Scorps really know how to decorate a place,” she said when he landed by her side. He only shook his head and headed towards the doorway of the boiler room.

“I think we lost them,” Ellie said, listening for any footsteps outside.

“Let’s keep it that way,” he responded, and together they walked out to a set of stairs that would lead them to the top floors of the building.

“Who died on your side?” Ellie asked as they clambered up to the first floor.

“Kid named Sam. Firefly sent a patrol team to check out a noise complaint- didn’t end well.”

“What happened to the other guy?”

“Standing right beside you,” Jesse said, looking away. “Here,” he clicked on the light clipped to his backpack, and the hall they’d walked into was cast in the dim light.

“I’m sorry,” Ellie shook her head, “I know what it’s like to have someone die on you.”

“Yeah?” Jesse, held his gun out in front of him, eyes squinted, and Ellie did the same.

“Six months back,” she said, as they searched through the rotten drawers in the first room, “Thought the phantoms had my sister. My girlfriend came with me.”

“And they got her,” Jesse finished for her, and stopped searching the empty cabinets to look her in the eyes, “It’s easy to forget that we all carry the same weight that comes with the jacket- even with the different patches. Look... I’m sorry about the other day.”

“Yeah,” Ellie nodded, “me too.”

Jesse smiled and they went back to searching the rooms, going floor by floor to look for anything that might help them understand what was going on. The only thing they’d found were some old medical supplies and dusty pills that laid forgotten in a sink. Ellie was about to say she thought the whole building was a bust until she froze in the hallway.

“Wait-” Ellie held her hand out to stop Jesse from walking to the next room, “Do you hear that?”

The noise was coming from above them, “I thought this building was empty…be-” A pair of hands shot around his throat, tugging him back, and Ellie dove towards him, but was yanked back by a pair of rough arms around her waist.

Ellie yelled, twisted, elbowed, even spat, trying to get the arms to release her until she was able to reach her knife and dig it in the right spot. The body slacked, and she untangled herself, grabbed her gun, and pulled the trigger, sending Jesse’s attacker to the ground as well.

Ellie rushed over to where he sat coughing and rubbing his throat and knelt to the ground to catch her breath as well.

“Thanks,” he said, voice raw. When they were both recovered, they looked over at the people who’d tried to kill them. They looked barely human, with pale, translucent skin, red eyes, and cracked lips. They reminded her a lot of Lev’s mom.

“This is a demon house,” Jesse gasped, and looked up to the ceiling as they heard rushed footsteps.

“A _what_?”

“Shit!” Jesse pulled his gun out, and stood back to back with Ellie, ready to fight the coming hoard. “Firefly told me about these- The Phantom King- he can get Vaccine users to do anything he wants because he’s got the only supply. So he holes a dozen of them up in different parts of town. Sometimes to scare people, other times…”

“Other times to what?”

“Other times to guard something.”

The footsteps on the stairs grew louder, and they braced themselves for the coming fight.

“This is not how I thought I’d die,” Ellie hissed.

“Then don’t,” Jesse muttered, as the first demon came running into the room screaming.

They fired shot after shot, but it seemed to do nothing, and before long, Ellie’s revolver was knocked out of her hand, and she had to resort to her switchblade, and dodging the attacks as best as she could. The demons scratched and clawed, and as good as both she and Jesse were at fighting, there were just too many. Ellie covered her head with her arms as she was cornered, doing her best to protect herself when the gunshots started up again, one after the other, until all of the demons were on the floor.

Ellie swallowed, and looked away from the bodies near her feet; they were all headshots.

“Hey, you were right,” Jesse panted, squinting in the direction of their savior, “Talia, what are you…” his voice trailed off when the person stepped into the light.

Holding Ellie’s smoking revolver wasn’t Talia, but Dina.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a cliff hanger! I'm so excited to read the comments and see what you guys think!
> 
> Poor Jesse, he just wants to be called by his name, lol. I had a lot of fun pairing Ellie and Jesse up. From the start I've known they would end up working together, so the beginning of their friendship is really exciting! 
> 
> The support I've gotten on this story has been overwhelming, thank you so, so much for reading and commenting!! I hope you guys are having as much fun reading this as I am writing and sharing.


	10. Human Tug of Rope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dina holds Jesse at gunpoint, the team reunites

“I’m sorry,” Jesse held his hands in the air, breathing shallow, as Dina pointed the gun at him.

“Ellie, come over here,” Dina said, not taking her eyes off Jesse, who was shaking. Ellie swallowed, unsure what to think as she stepped over the bodies surrounding them and slowly made her way towards Dina.

“Dina, what are you-”

“Not now, babe,” Dina said, eyes flicking to Ellie, who flushed red, before settling back on Jesse.

“He made me swear,” Jesse said, eyes pleading.

“ _Who_ made you swear?” Dina asked, shifting her weight from for to foot, “I want to hear you say it.”

“I…your dad,” Jesse hung his head, “Your dad said if I tell you, I’m out. D, you know I need the Scorpions… it’s all I have.”

“You have you mom, you have JJ, you had me.”

Ellie shuffled her feet, feeling like she was intruding on a private conversation, but Dina only smiled warmly at her before glaring at Jesse again.

“Look at me, Ellie-” Jesse said from his knees. She froze and glanced at Dina, whose expression was unreadable.

“What do you see?”

“The guy who saved my life like five times back there,” she said stubbornly.

“Wrong,” he slumped, “I’m a fuck up- you know why I joined Scorpions? Because Firefly- Jacob,” he said, catching Dina’s eye, “Offered to pay my gambling debt in exchange. He’ll kill me if you say it was because of me, _please_.” Jesse was sobbing at that point, and Ellie didn’t blame him. This version of Dina was terrifying.

“He won’t,” she said, “Because I’ll kill you first.”

Dina pulled the trigger, and both Ellie and Jesse visibly flinched.

A soft click echoed through the room, and she slowly lowered her arm.

“You lie to me again, and I’ll make sure to put the bullet in.”

Ellie let out a relieved huff, and Jesse literally sunk to the floor, his face right next to a dead demon. Dina looked away indifferently.

“It’s alright man,” Ellie said, helping Jesse to his feet with some difficulty, and slinging his arm over her shoulders. Ellie shot Dina a concerned glance, unsure what to make of what just happened.

“I’m really sorry about all this,” Ellie said, not knowing where to look. Dina’s eyes, or her nose, or her lips.

“Are you kidding me? You’re the only person that wanted to tell me the truth, and I’ve known you for three days.”

Had it really been that short of a time? She felt like she’d known Dina for years, maybe even her whole life.

“So… should we head upstairs? See what ghost is hiding up there?”

“Phantom,” Ellie corrected, and glanced at Jesse, who was still very shaken as he clung onto her shoulder. “So it was you following us then?”

“Yes- should I even ask why you were listening to American idiot on repeat? I hate that song so much,” she shot Jesse another glare. 

“Cause we’re a couple American idiots? Dina…” Ellie looked away nervously, “where’d you learn to shoot like that?” 

At her words, Dina looked physically ill, and kept her eyes anywhere from the floor. “My dad’s had me target shooting since I was six. Had a whole set up with moving practice dummies and everything- Guess I know why now,” she shook her head.

“Hey- it’s okay,” Ellie said, pulling Dina’s arm over her shoulder too so she was holding both up, “They were trying to kill us.”

“You’re right,” Dina nodded, and pecked her cheek so fast Ellie almost lost her balance. Ellie couldn’t help it, she returned Dina’s huge grin. Jesse groaned loudly, and Dina whipped her head around so she could see around Ellie’s head.

“Is there a _problem_ , Jesse Senior?”

“No,” he said quickly, Adams apple bobbing up and down, “No, we’re all good.”

“Damn right,” Dina said, a little color returning to her face. She pulled her arm from around Ellie’s shoulders and grabbed her hand instead.

“Okay,” Ellie said, “So let’s figure out what the Phantom King was guarding, and then get out of here before someone comes the check up on this place.”

With some difficulty, Ellie dragged Jesse up the last flight of stairs to where the demons had been, and she was utterly unimpressed with what they found.

“Weapons?” Ellie asked, opening a box to find a shiny new rifle. Dina did the same, opening the cases around the room to find shotguns, pistols, and hundreds of bullets.

“Why the hell,” Jesse finally spoke clearly again, “Would the king give a rat’s ass about some guns and ammo?”

“I don’t know…” Ellie frowned. Weapons were expensive, but easy to come buy everywhere but the Northside. Keeping a secret supply here seemed not only redundant, but a huge waste of resources.

“Hey Ellie, take a look at this,” Dina called from the other side of the room. She was looking at a map of Jackson, which was separated into the four zones: North, South, East, and West.

“We’re here,” Ellie said, pointing at near the border of the Southside. Along the margins, were a series of times and street names.

“Hey, are these patrols?”

Jesse stood up from where he was sitting on a crate of ammo, and walked over, making sure to stay on the opposite side of Ellie as Dina.

“They’ve been watching us,” he said, running his finger down the times, “What’s he planning?”

Ellie felt a pit settle into her stomach; all of this was just too big of a coincidence to be happening all at once. Sarah coming home, Talia trying to kill her, the vaccine spreading, and now a demon house full of supplies and notes about the Scorps.

“I’m willing to bet there’s one of these places on the Eastside too.”

Watching her friends, watching Joel, watching her.

“I have to go,” Ellie said abruptly, taking a picture of the map, the room, and grabbing a box of ammo.

“Where are you going?” Jesse asked.

“I need to tell Joel, this is _too big_ -”

“Ellie,” Dina caught her arm, and glanced over at Jesse for him to continue.

“We need to stick together, this is about everyone here, and honestly… I don’t think this is a problem we’ll be able to solve if we’re playing for different teams.”

“My sister might know something- she was in deep with the Phantoms, and I’d bet my minimum wage paycheck she knows more than she let on.”

“And we need to find Talia,” Dina said quietly, walking to Ellie’s side.

“Hold on a minute,” Jesse said, a panicked look in his eyes, “Before we do _any_ of that, we need to finish what we came here to do.” He grabbed a long gun out of a box and slung it over his shoulder.

“What?” he asked when Dina rolled her eyes at him, “They won’t miss it, you killed them all.”

“Go to hell.”

“Already there,” he snapped, before glancing at Ellie, “No offence.”

Ellie rubbed the back of her neck, feeling a bit like she was in a tug of rope war, only instead of pulling on one side, _she_ was the rope Dina and Jesse were fighting over.

…

“I swear to god, Miller, if it was you, I’ll murder you with my spatula,” Abby growled as Ellie and her team approached.

“I followed them,” Dina said quickly, a challenging look in her eyes. She’d returned Ellie’s revolver and had grabbed a pistol, which she held in her hand.

“I don’t like this,” Abby said, looking between Ellie and Dina, “But what’s done is done, I guess. What did you find?”

“Nothing,” Jesse spoke up, moving to stand next to Nora, “No blood, no dirt, no nothing. Didn’t even smell like bleach from a cleanup.”

“Same here,” Abby crossed her arms, “It’s like it never happened.”

Ellie, Jesse, Nora and Abby huddled together to recount the events at the demon house, and Dina lingered back with Lev.

“You’re welcome,” Lev said smugly, leaned up against Jesse’s car.

“For what?” Dina laughed.

“Without me,” he gestured between her and Ellie, “ _This_ wouldn’t have happened.”

“Thanks,” she said, trying to smile, but failing, “A lot happened tonight.”

Lev nodded, face turning serious, “You had no idea?”

Dina sighed, “I’ve always felt like an outsider in my own home, but I just thought it was because of _me_ , you know? Like I wasn’t trying hard enough... Doesn’t help that my parents are overprotective psychos.”

Lev nodded, “It’s okay. The only time I don’t feel like an outsider it when I’m with these guys. They’re my family.”

“What happens when your family is awful though?” Dina asked, thinking of her parents again.

Lev shrugged, “Then you find a new one…” he seemed to think for a minute, choosing his words carefully, “We’ve got room.”

An idea flashed through Dina’s mind, and she quickly decided what she wanted to do. There was no way she was going back home, not after everything she’d learned about her parents, about her sister…

“Hey- you guys hungry?” Ellie called from the group.

“I’ve been starving since we got here,” Lev said, jogging over.

Abby tossed him a helmet, Nora got on her bike, and Ellie and Dina crowded into Jesse’s car.

The drive to Tommy’s Diner was a little tense, given everything they’d learned, but when they entered the restaurant, they left their weapons in the car, took their jackets off at the door, and the group of Vipers and Scorps, sworn enemies, squeezed into the largest booth they could find.

“Let’s see here…” Tommy walked up to their table with an amused expression on his face, “Should I even ask?”

“Probably not,” Ellie laughed, putting her arm around Dina’s shoulders. She was tired, but in that moment, with the promise of a warm meal, and her… she looked around the table at the different faces that returned her smile...her _friends_ , she was content.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!


	11. That's What I Thought

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellie tries to get answers from Sarah and Joel, delivers supplies to Lev's mom, and tries to convince Dina to stay away

Ellie leaned up against the counter next to Joel as Sarah, the only Miller that could cook without setting the fire alarms off, made scrambled eggs.

“So…” she rubbed the back of her neck, “Any news about the vaccine situation?”

Joel frowned, “It’s been two days, kiddo, these things take time.” 

“But don’t you think,” Ellie said trying to pry information out of him, “That it’s a little weird Manny’s body wasn’t there when Abby and Owen went back for him?”

“The Scorpions have all sorts of connections with the cops, they probably called them in for a quick clean up.”

“We have a cop on our side too,” Ellie reminded him, “And Maria’s never gotten things smoothed over in under thirty minutes.”

“Put some extra pepper in mine, will you?” Joel asked, taking a sip of his black coffee.

“Sure thing,” Sarah called over her shoulder. 

“I was thinking-”

“That’s never a good thing,” Joel chuckled.

“I was thinking,” Ellie started again, “What if wasn’t the Scorps? Talia’s working with the Phantoms, right? That’s what _you_ said. What if all of those guys were, even the ones that killed Manny?”

Ellie was looking for any twitch in the eye, any side glance to give her a hint that she was onto something, but Joel gave away nothing. 

“I’m not sure throwing around conspiracy theories is going to do any good,” Sarah said, handing Joel his plate and crossing her arms.

“But it makes sense,” Ellie said, “they thought you had the vaccine, that’s why they met up with you, right?” Joel neither confirmed nor denied, so she kept going. “She betrayed Firefly, or is going to- the guy she was with seemed really nervous about her dad finding out what was going on-”

“I’m going to stop you right there,” Joel said, swallowing a mouthful. “It’s not your job to worry about what’s going on with the Scorpions.”

“But _Joel_ ,” Ellie snapped, getting impatient, and he flinched; she hadn’t called him that to his face in a long time. “Dad,” she quickly corrected, “You said it yourself, they’re falling apart, and we have a traitor. How long before we end up like them, or worse?”

“We won’t,” Sarah spoke up.

“And how do you know that? Phantoms don’t even wear jackets, how are we supposed to know what’s going on, how to handle them, if most of us haven’t even seen one up close?”

A silhouette entered her vision for a fraction of a second, holding the gun, pulling the trigger that sent Riley stumbling into her.

“Fine,” Sarah moved closer to Ellie, ignoring the look Joel shot her. “You want to know what they’re like? You want to be a big girl so badly?”

Ellie glared as Sarah pulled her sleeve up to reveal a raised pink scar in the shape of a skull. Instinctively, Ellie scratched at the scar on her own arm that her tattoo covered. According to Joel, hers was a chemical burn, but Sarah’s… Sarah’s was a brand.

“But if you’re not satisfied, how about you look at your friend Lev’s face, or-”

“Enough,” Joel thundered.

“Why’d they do that to you?” Ellie asked hesitantly.

“They do it to anyone they consider one of their own…”

“And they trusted you? Everyone knows you’re the Old Man’s daughter.”

“But I’m not his _favorite_ daughter- that’s the difference. I’d have a motive for wanting to join- they’re different than us. The phantoms are a revenge gang, they _look_ for people that want to do damage.”

“I am _not_ the favorite,” Ellie glowered, looking between the two. Sarah only stared right back at her, and Joel into his coffee.

“Say you weren’t,” she said, bitterness creeping into her voice, “You’re still the youngest.”

“So send me in,” Ellie said suddenly, “I have a motive- you two lied to me, and Riley and Manny are dead because of it. Sarah’s cover was blown, right? That’s why you pulled her out?”

“Ellie,” Joel said in a warning tone.

“Sarah and I look nothing alike, and you never let me go to the Westside anyway, so it’s not like the Phantoms would know what I look like,” she said, her turn to be spiteful. By the time Sarah had been her age, she’d been doing work for Joel all over the city, while Ellie was stuck in the Eastside, only occasionally doing a job in Scorp territory.

“Absolutely not,” Joel said, setting his plate down.

“ _Come on_ ,” her voice was raising, “do you two really expect me to sit around doing _nothing_?”

“You’re not ‘doing nothing,’ baby girl. You have school, hockey, work at Tommy’s, and patrols. That’s a pretty full plate.”

Anger flashed through her, “I’m a part of this now.”

“NO,” Joel yelled, before taking a deep breath and continuing, “No, you’re not. Stay out of it, Ellie.”

She shook her head, clenching her fists at her sides. After everything, they still didn’t trust her with the truth. They owed her at least that.

“You’re always running away when things don’t go your way,” Sarah said as Ellie pushed off the counter, “Grow up, El.”

“Sarah, I said enough,” Joel said, following his other daughter as she fumed down the hall, “Come on now, don’t leave like this, you haven’t even eaten.”

“I’m not hungry,” she said, pulling her jacket on, and grabbing her backpack and the paper bag sitting near the door.

“Kiddo…”

She glared, “Don’t ‘kiddo’ me, I’m not letting another one of my friends die because you won’t let me in on you and Sarah’s ‘little secrets,’” she said, using air quotes. “This is bullshit- if Viper lives meant anything to you, you’d let me help.”

“Now you _know_ that ain’t-”

It was childish, but she slammed the door before he finished and stomped down the stairs and through the bar, where a few Vipers were sitting around a table.

“Morning, Ellie,” one called in greeting.

“Morning,” she said, not stopping to talk to them, and pushing out the door, sending the bell chiming. Ellie pulled her helmet on and mounted Shimmer, glad to have the familiar feeling of the bike underneath her again.

A quick three minutes later, she was walking up the front steps of Lev’s house and ringing the doorbell.

“Supplies,” Ellie said when Lev’s mom, Choi, opened the door a crack. Her face wasn’t nearly as bad as the demons from the day before, but her eyes were bloodshot, her hair stringy, and her lips cracked.

“Is _everything_ here?”

“Yeah,” Ellie shook her head in annoyance, “It’s all in there.”

It disgusted her, the look of relief that washed over Choi’s face when Ellie confirmed that along with milk and eggs, a dose of the vaccine was in the paper bag, as it was every week to prevent her from wandering into the Westside again. Ellie had never questioned how Joel managed to get his hands on it, but now…

“Lev, you ready?”

“Coming!” She heard him shout from somewhere upstairs.

“Everything all good?” Ellie asked, trying to cut through the awkward silence, “Anyone been bothering you?” She almost didn’t catch it, the falter in Choi’s expression, but when it came to fear, Ellie was good at reading people.

“Who?” She asked immediately.

“Was it…” Ellie glanced behind her to make sure Lev wasn’t near, “Was it Sarah?”

At this point, she didn’t trust her sister as far as she could see her, even more so because both she and Joel had dodged the most important question. _Why_ had Sarah been pulled out of the Phantoms if the work she’d been doing had been so important?

“No one,” Choi said, looking Ellie in the eyes, “No one’s been bothering us.”

Rushed footsteps on the stairs kept her from asking further questions as Lev popped into view, helmet in hand.

“Hey…” she waited until they were near her bike before she asked, “Has anyone weird come over to your house recently?”

“No…” he frowned in thought, “No, other than you, I don’t think so.” 

“Wow, low blow kid,” Ellie said, flipping her visor down, and touching her chest, “That hurt.”

Lev only laughed, and sat on the bike behind her, “Hope you recover soon, because it’s Friday, and I’ve got plans.”

“Look at you, you little party animal,” she smirked as they rode off.

…

Ellie chewed on her pencil as she waited for class to start; she’d already called Abby to let her know they’d need to meet as soon as possible so she could relay the little information she’d managed to learn that morning. After a moment’s hesitation, she shot a quick text to Jesse too; he’d need to stay in the loop.

A set of books slammed onto the table beside her, causing Ellie to nearly jump out of her seat with her knife in hand. 

“ _Jesus_ , watch what you’re-” Ellie’s annoyance shifted into confusion as Dina pulled out the chair beside her.

“You don’t have to call me Jesus, Dina’s fine.”

“Hi?” Ellie blinked. She was the only person that ever sat in the front row. “What are you doing?”

Dina looked at her, and Ellie melted a little, because no one had ever looked at her like that: like she was the center of their world.

“I’m… sitting next to you,” Dina smiled lazily, and Ellie’s heart rate spiked as she nodded in understanding but kept her eyes towards the front of the room, where the professor was starting to write down chemical equations.

For the first time in the semester, she couldn’t focus on the lesson. Her pen remained still, her vision trained on Dr. Mark, but not hearing a word of what he was saying.

_“You’re not gonna kill me are you?” Riley asked as Ellie tried to catch her breath, knife still in hand from when she’d grabbed it from under her pillow._

_“I haven’t seen you in I don’t even know how long.”_

_“45 days. Well… 46 technically.” Riley said, shuffling her feet._

_“You promised me,” Ellie said, throwing the knife on the bed, “You promised me you’d never leave without telling me again. You’re my girlfriend now… were my girlfriend.”_

_“Was your girlfriend? Look, I’m sorry,” Riley said, “But I had to find out, something’s going on and-”_

_“Yeah, I know,” Ellie snapped, “Sarah’s missing.”_

_“We’ll find her, Sarah’s fine.”_

Ellie stood up abruptly, causing her chair to scrape loudly against the floor, but she couldn’t take it anymore. The looks Dina kept giving her from the corner of her eye, the sitting still, the fact that she’d broken up with Riley hours before she’d died.

Dr. Mark paused and looked at her, as did everyone else in the lecture hall, but all Ellie could think about was the feeling of Riley pressing the ring on Ellie’s finger into her palm. The unspoken apologies between them, because Riley had _promised_ Ellie that night on the roof when she’d been proclaimed “brick master” that she would never leave without telling her again. But she had anyway.

_“Everything’s going to be okay in the end,” Riley had said, touching her cheek. “Go, Ellie, you have to leave me.”_

_“I can’t.”_

_“I’m a butterfly, remember? I’ve got wings, but you-” she poked Ellie’s chest weakly, “You’re a moth, right? Hey- right?”_

_Ellie nodded._

_“Go- look for the light- the truth. You’ll find it.”_

Everyone she got close to either left or died.

“Bathroom,” she said, so quietly she doubted Dr. Mark could hear her anyway, and without even bothering to grab her things she rushed out of the room. Look for the light…Ellie ripped her jacket sleeve up and stared at the moth inked there. Riley had known something that night, something Ellie suspected would change everything.

She growled and slammed her fist against the bathroom wall over, and over, and over. When would the cycle end, when would people stop keeping secrets from her, when would everyone stop leaving?

“Hey,” a hand caught her arm mid-strike, and Ellie’s crazed eyes darted to Dina’s, whose eyes were calm and warm, and didn’t seem to be bothered in the slightest buy her aggression.

“You need to stay away from me,” Ellie said, tugging her arm away. She knew she must’ve looked pathetic with her red, throbbing knuckles, and her tear-streaked cheeks, but she didn’t care. She wanted to scare Dina away before it was too late, before she ended up dead too.

“No.”

Ellie hit the wall again, lighter that time, and rested her forehead against the cool cement. “You’ll die too,” she whispered.

“Excuse me,” Dina said, “Last time I checked it was _me_ who saved you and Jesse’s sorry asses last night, not the other way around.”

Ellie frowned, still leaned up against the wall, but she turned to look at Dina, who she noticed had both of their backpacks on.

“So,” Dina continued, “If anything, _you_ need _me_.”

Ellie scoffed under her breath, “Right…”

“Oh? What was that? Care to speak up, babe?”

“I could’ve taken those guys,” she said, finally standing straight again, “I had it under control.”

“Mhmmm,” Dina looped her arm through Ellie’s as they walked out of the bathroom, but her eyes didn’t miss the red streaks on the skin where Ellie had been scratching at her tattoo.

“You wanna go back?" Dina smirked, "Put your theory to test?”

Ellie pressed her lips into a thin line, trying her hardest not to smile, but failing.

“That’s what I thought,” Dina laughed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... not only are Joel and Sarah acting EXTREMELY sus, but Riley seems to have learned something huge before she died. Things are heating up! 
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed!! 
> 
> Thank you for reading and commenting❤️


	12. Don't Be Stupid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team has a meeting, Ellie fights with someone unexpected

Ellie copied Dina’s chemistry notes as the lunch rush from campus made its way through Tommy’s.

“Can I ask you something?”

Ellie glanced up, still a little embarrassed from the incident in the bathroom and shrugged, before returning her gaze back down to the two notebooks in front of her.

“Tell me why you joined The Vipers.”

It was the second time Dina had asked the question, but it still baffled her. No one outside of the two gangs had ever so much as dared to _look_ at Ellie wrong, let alone pry into her personal business. And yet there sat Dina, with her bright eyes and easy smile, and Ellie found herself wanting to tell her everything.

She looked back down at their notebooks again and sighed, her thoughts wandering to Riley and Manny, and what happened whenever she let her guard down because she was tired, or listening to music, or lonely. Someone always died. Dina didn’t get that yet, she was new to this world even though she’d been born into it.

Ellie had two options: one, to be a complete asshole and hope Dina could take a hint, and two…

“Filing a police report on me or something?” Ellie blurted and winced; asshole it was, then.

If Dina was shocked by her behavior, she didn’t show it. “I’m just trying to understand- my sister worked at the _library_ , my dad’s a financial analyst, why would anyone choose this?”

She couldn’t take it, the earnestness in Dina’s voice, the way her hand hovered over hers. Ellie looked away again, wishing the others would hurry up and arrive.

“Who said anything about choosing? My dad… he’s the ‘old man,’” she laughed bitterly, “leader of the Vipes. Kinda didn’t have a choice.”

“The leader?”

“Yeah,” she said shortly, “So maybe your sister’s like me…” Ellie trailed off. Tired of the lies and the bodies piling up around her. “People fake their deaths all the time- maybe she tried to skip town but got pulled back in.”

“But she wouldn’t-”

“You don’t know what she wouldn’t do, Dina, that’s what I’m trying to tell you. This isn’t some game. You, Jesse, JJ, everyone you care about could be dead because of one mistake. Being Firefly’s daughter may protect you from Vipes, but the Phantoms don’t care who you are. So yeah,” she thought back to the desperation she’d seen in Talia’s eyes when she’d said Dina’s name. “She would. You don’t know what it’s like- maybe you should keep it that way.”

“I’m not her, Ellie.”

Ellie’s eyes snapped up to meet Dina’s, and narrowed. “Lev.”

“He was only trying to help.”

“Why are you asking him about me? Why are you talking to Lev in the first place?” Ellie asked, anger working its way up. She didn’t like it, Dina poking around, and she liked it even less that she was doing it with Lev. If she wanted to throw herself in danger so badly, then fine… but if the wrong Scorp saw her talking to Lev, whose scars were a “mark” of the Phantoms just like Sarah’s brand, things could get ugly.

“Why are _you_ being an asshole? I thought we were all on the same team here,” Dina snapped.

Ellie looked away and stared past the counter into the slot where she could just barely see the top of Abby’s head as she worked in the kitchen. If Dina hadn’t followed them, they wouldn’t have this extra layer of stress. But then she also wouldn’t know the truth…

“Would you leave, if you could?” Dina’s softer tone pulled her out of her spiral.

“Of course not,” she said quickly, shutting her notebook, “they’re all I know.” 

Dina tried to choose her words carefully, “But if her death has affected you this much, why wouldn’t you?”

Ellie only shook her head, “I’ve seen more than one person die, Dina, this isn’t just about-” 

“Ellie!” a large hand clamped her shoulder, and she turned to find Jesse grinning down at her. He slid into the booth and gave Dina a tight-lipped smile before looking at her again.

“Hey,” she said, pushing Dina’s notebook across the table, avoiding the girl’s eyes.

“Listen, man- there’s a party tonight, you should come as my plus one,” Jesse drummed his black-painted nails against the table in anticipation.

“Can’t,” Ellie glanced at her phone, anything to get out of the awkward atmosphere.

“Why not? I’m D.J. so the music will be killer, we’ll have drinks, games, girls,” he wiggled his eyebrows up and down. 

“ _Really_?” Dina asked, leaning across the table, “Are you objectifying women? Because that’s what it sounds like.”

“Can you believe her?” Jesse asked, gesturing across the table, “Objectifying women… I’m just saying there will be girls at the party.”

“Well,” Dina crossed her arms in front of her chest, “She just said she doesn’t want to go. Right, Ellie?”

“Ummm,” she held her hands up in surrender, but they kept bickering as if she weren’t even there.

“What is this, anyway? You sound like you’re asking her to prom when it’s probably just the same ratty warehouse you broke into in high school.”

Ellie perked up at that; if Jesse was throwing parties in warehouses, chances were they weren’t just random spots. In fact, she was willing to bet he was inviting people over when he was supposed to be watching the building, something Owen had done a couple years ago. There was something important in that warehouse, something Firefly wanted to keep safe.

“Relax,” Jesse said, “I’m not even her type- tell her.”

“Yeah, M’ really into blonde guys,” Ellie said, flicking her eyes between the two of them. With a quick glance at her phone, she nudged Jesse to let her out of the booth.

“Come on, room’s ready.”

Ellie led the way to Tommy’s back office, but stopped short when she spotted Abby and Lev sitting on the desk, which wouldn’t have been too big of a shock if Tommy weren’t snoring behind it.

“You’re kidding me, right? I thought you said he was out?”

“Yeah, like a light. You really think he’s going to leave this place in my hands with all the tension lately? I haven’t stepped on a Scorp in twelve hours, I wouldn’t be able to restrain myself if a little smartass walked in…” Abby’s eyes lingered on Jesse and Dina for a moment before returning to Ellie. “Where _is_ the smartass?”

“Nora’s on a job, I’ll fill her in,” Jesse said.

Abby nodded, but Ellie still looked uncertain about their meeting arrangement.

“El,” Lev said, “It’s fine, I already tested it. Watch this…” he jumped off the desk and stood beside Tommy, whose head was tilted back in his swivel chair. He raised his hands and clapped them directly in front of her uncle’s face. His snore caught in his throat for a minute, then continued as if nothing happened.

“He would hate this,” Ellie said as she closed the door.

“Well good thing he’s not awake, yeah?” Abby grinned, and thumped her shoulder. “So, manage to get any information from Joel this morning?”

She shook her head, “Not really. All I know is Sarah got in pretty deep with the Phantoms- they…” she stopped for a moment at Lev’s wide eyes. “They branded her.”

“Damn,” Abby whispered.

“Who’s Sarah?” Jesse asked.

Both Vipers ignored him, “What are you thinking?”

“That everything ties to them somehow,” Ellie said, “I just need to dig deeper- look around the Eastside when he’s out.”

“I can help,” Lev said, “No one would suspect me.” He put on his favorite wide eyed, pure innocent face, and both Abby and Ellie laughed.

“Only if you’re with us,” Abby turned to Dina, “You next, what did you learn from Firefly?”

“Learn?” Dina crossed her arms, “I thought we decided I was supposed to pretend like everything’s normal so he doesn’t suspect anything.” Dina didn’t seem to be happy about the situation at all. 

“But was he acting weird? Twitchier than usual?”

“No. He asked me to pass the kale chips.”

“Kale chips? Firefly eats kale chips?” Lev laughed, and Ellie met his eyes with a grin.

“Maybe it helps him _kale_ his enemies,” she said, and he laughed even harder. 

“So… us?” Abby quirked an eyebrow in her direction, “I think your jokes are getting worse, Miller. How about you, greaser? Your boss seem skittish?”

“No but you could say he’s… _kaling_ me, Eh, Ellie?” he elbowed her in the ribs and she sniggered, Jesse earning an annoyed glare from Dina.

“What kinds of jobs does he have you on?” Abby asked.

Jesse’s smile faded, as he realized the weight of her question. It was common knowledge that you weren’t supposed to talk about business to anyone, but especially to members of a rival gang. If he answered, then he was all in, and there was no going back.

“Little things- drop offs, patrolling certain parts of town. Mostly the border.”

“Not ours,” Ellie said, “Old Man schedules me almost every night and I’ve never seen you.”

“No, the Westside border.”

“The Phantoms again,” Ellie said, loudly, giving a nervous glance to Tommy’s sleeping form before focusing back on Abby. “Joel’s hiding something about them, Sarah is too.”

“You think something went down when he sent her out there?”

“Exactly. Why else would she be back?”

“Maybe she finished the job,” Lev spoke up.

“No,” Ellie shook her head, “Joel made it seem like she was there to take out the king. If she would’ve, then we wouldn’t have found a demon house yesterday. How’s Owen?” she asked suddenly, “Has he been on more jobs than usual like Jesse?”

Abby’s face turned sour at the mention of her boyfriend. “Don’t know, haven’t seen the jackass in three days.” 

“I’m gonna take that as a yes,” Ellie said.

“So,” Abby looked around the room, “we’ve got the three of us on Joel and Sarah, that leaves Firefly.”

“Don’t look at me- he’ll kill me _twice_. Once for being suspicious of him, the second once he finds out his daughter knows the family secret.”

Everyone’s heads turned to Dina.

“No way,” her eyes grew wide, “I’m not spying on my parents.”

“Right,” Ellie remembered- Dina didn’t only have a dad like her. “What’s your mom do?”

“She’s a cop,” she said, shifting her weight uncomfortably.

“Dina,” Ellie licked her lips, “You know what this means, right?”

Her expression faltered and Ellie knew: Dina had been so focused on her dad and sister, that she hadn’t even considered the fact that her mom might be in on it. That she was either a dirty cop, or one that helped the gang out because she was connected to it. The way Maria, Ellie’s aunt and Tommy’s ex-wife, helped out the Vipers.

“Look- we can handle this,” Ellie said, looking away, “Do you agree, Abs?” 

“One hundred percent- you’re the one who brought them into this in the first place. Vipers stick to their own.”

“Hold on-” Lev started, but Ellie interrupted.

“Good. Just get me into that party, Jesse. We’ll handle the rest.”

“Don’t be stupid,” both he and Dina said at the same time, glared at each other, and then looked at her again. 

This was it, Ellie realized, the moment she had to hammer in her decision. She really liked Dina. She was funny, and badass, and the most gorgeous woman she’d ever laid eyes on. And that was why she had to cut whatever it was between them off immediately.

“I’m not the one being stupid here,” she said, avoiding Dina’s eyes, “Just because you killed a couple demons doesn’t mean you’re one of us.”

“What, you want me to wear one of your stupid jackets?”

“I want you to value your own life,” Ellie shouted, “You didn’t grow up in this, you’re one of the lucky ones. But us?” she gestured to herself, to Abby, to Lev, “We did. All of us know what it’s like to have a gun to our heads- a loaded one,” she added, “And in that moment think ‘you know what? Maybe I deserve this for all the shit I’ve done.’ Just do yourself a favor and _stay away_.”

“You wouldn’t be saying this if you hadn’t met JJ, and that’s _so_ -”

“My parents were killed because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. That’s how Joel found me, so yes, JJ changed things. I won’t let that happen to him too.”

Dina blinked rapidly, overwhelmed by the amount of personal information Ellie had just willingly given her, but quickly regained her composure. “Hey-” she caught Ellie’s arm as she tried to storm out of the room, “Don’t walk away from this.”

Tommy let out a loud snore, causing everyone in the room to jump, but he only smacked his lips and went quiet again.

“Ellie,” Jesse caught her eyes, “JJ _has_ parents- my mom and stepdad. We’re just…”

“He thinks we’re the cool aunt and uncle that watch him when his parents are on a date night,” Dina finished.

Ellie looked between them, still frowning, and pulled her arm out of Dina’s grasp. 

“He may have parents, but what happens when there’s no Jackson for him to wake up to?” Jesse asked, “What then?”

“It’s up to us,” Dina said, standing beside him, seeming to finally have found something they agreed on.

She was right, but it didn’t change anything. Joel may have believed that Millers made their own luck, and that may have been true for him and Sarah, but she hadn’t always been one of them. When she was a kid- JJ’s age, she’d been a Williams, and while she didn’t really know what that meant, she knew for a fact she was a magnet for trouble, and being around Dina would only put her in even more danger.

Ellie looked over at Abby, trying to communicate all of that in one look. Surprisingly, she gave a little nod before standing up.

“Here’s what’s going to happen. Team A,” Abby pointed to all the Vipers, “And you two plus smartass are Team B. We’ll meet at the… why are we going to a party?” she raised an eyebrow at Ellie.

“I’ll explain later.”

“Okay… so meet at the party, we’ll go from there and split into our teams. It’ll be better this way. Vipers and Scorpions, we just…” Abby’s voice drowned out as Ellie caught the look Dina was giving her. It was unreadable, scary almost, like when she’d pointed the gun at Jesse.

“Yikes,” Jesse muttered in Ellie’s ear as they left the room, “That was awkward.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jesse's right, that was very awkward... and Dina is having such a hard time reading Ellie. She doesn't understand how deeply Ellie's trauma from losing Riley and growing up the daughter of a gang leader runs. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed! I finished my last final of the semester today, so I wanted to post this to celebrate! Also, I can't believe it's already December?? This year has felt so long and so short at the same time.
> 
> Thank you for your comments and kudos❤️


	13. You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Party

“Hey El, hold on a minute before you leave,” Tommy called to her from the doorway of the kitchen. She was just finishing scrubbing the grill, per Abby’s previous request, already running a little late to the party.

She sighed and turned to him, “What’s up?”

“I don’t like this,” he said, limping over to her so they were face to face.

“Like what?”

“You cleaning up for one, that’s very out of character,” he joked, “But you know what I mean. You and your friends getting mixed up in this Phantom business. What?” he raised his eyebrows at her expression, “you thought I was actually asleep the whole time?”

Ellie shrugged, “Looked more than asleep- half dead. In fact, I swear you stopped breathing a couple times.”

“Alright, alright,” Tommy raised his hands in the air, “But I heard enough to get the gist of things. Dina… she yer girlfriend?”

“No,” Ellie said quickly, looking away.

“Sure do act like it, all the fighting you two were doing over a decisions that’s hers to make.”

“Really, you too? Tommy,” she stopped scrubbing, “She’s not even a Scorp. There’s no need to pull her into this if she doesn’t have to be.” 

“Sounded to me like she already is, with or without you. You two have more in common than I think you want to admit.”

“Well, no need to worry,” Ellie said, pulling her apron off, “Because she’s coming. Sorry-” she said, catching her own tone. “It’s just… this is all a lot at once, you know?”

“Imagine how she feels.”

Ellie rubbed her hand over her tattoo absentmindedly, “The old man and Sarah, they’re not keeping me in the loop.

“Ah, so you’ve formed your own Mystery Incorporated. Let me guess, you’re Shaggy… who’s Scooby?”

“Very funny. I just don’t know what else to do, they won’t give me any information and the problem only seems to be getting worse. Do you know what’s going on?” 

“You know I ain’t talked to Joel in years.”

It was the twitch in his left eye that gave him away.

“Tell me.”

“I don’t know what yer…”

“Just tell me. Please. Someone has to do something or this whole city will be full of demons.”

Tommy sighed and leaned up against the center counter. “Fine, but you didn’t hear anything from me. No need for Joel and I to have a family reunion when we both know how that will end.”

“I figured it all out on my own, got it. I’ve got The Mystery Machine outback and everything,” she said, referencing the colorful van from Scooby-Doo. 

“Alright. I get a lot of people coming through here, you know that. Vipes, Scorps, _and_ Phantoms. They’re lookin for someone, and before you ask I don’t know who, or why, but they are.”

“That’s why they’re watching the Southside,” Ellie muttered. She needed to find the demon house in the Eastside soon before someone found it accidentally and got hurt. But who couls they want? And what did the Vaccine have to do with it all?

Ellie’s eyes widened; Did they want Sarah back?

“Thanks,” she said, grabbing her jacket from the hook near the entrance. She still didn’t know everything, but she knew more than she had a day ago, and that was a success in her book.

“You be careful, girl. I better not be called up by the police in the middle of the night to identify your body.”

“Relax, Uncle Tommy. I’m just going to a party.”

…

Ellie leaned up against her bike as she waited for the rest of her team to get there. UV lights and music where streaming out of the warehouse, and she could hear the sound of loud voices blending together trying to be heard over the ground-shaking bass. God, she hated parties.

Ellie tugged on the ring around her middle finger anxiously. There she was once again in the middle of the Southside without her jacket, and an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. A week and a half ago, she’d been most worried about if the Wolves would when their next match, and what patrol Joel would assign her on. Now… guilt started to eat at her because of the way she’d talked to Dina.

After another ten minutes of shivering in her thin hoodie, Abby rumbled up on her Harley with Lev on the back.

“We’ve got some ground rules, kid,” Abby said when she’d pulled her helmet off and clamped it to the handlebars. “Stick with one of us at all times. Don’t drink anything, especially if it looks like water, don’t talk to anyone. If someone so much as _looks_ at you wrong let one of us know, we’ll kill them.”

“Guys,” Lev raised an eyebrow, “I’ve been to a party before.”

Abby’s eyes nearly popped out of her sockets, but Ellie only nodded. “Just be careful, okay? This isn’t our terf, and we don’t want someone slipping you the Vaccine.”

“Who did he go to a party with?” Abby muttered in her ear as they headed to the entrance.

“We’re not his only friends you know.”

Abby’s frown deepened, at that idea, but she was quickly distracted by the mass of bodies in the center of the floor as the music swelled.

“There’s Jesse,” Lev pointed to the opposite side of the room. There he was, alright, headphones on, bobbing up and down to the beat at his D.J. station. He looked like he was in his element, so much more than just a leather jacket and a gun.

“So we’ll sweep the place, see what we can find.”

“Aren’t we supposed to meet Dina’s group?” Lev asked.

Ellie and Abby looked at each other over his head. Abby gave her an ‘it’s up to you’ look, and Ellie shook her head.

“I’ll let Jesse know we’re here, but we should just stick to our separate groups. It’s better that way.”

“But-”

“WE don’t need them,” Ellie said, looking at Lev, who’s started to protest. “Just go with Abby. I’ll take the right, you guys the left.”

She felt a little bad, but she also knew Lev liked Dina given how he’d blabbed so much of her personal information, and she didn’t want to hear him trying to guilt her. She was already doing enough of that to herself.

Ellie weaved through the dancing Southsiders, trying to keep her head down as much as possible. It wasn’t like everyone knew what she looked like or even who she was without her jacket- most of the people at the party didn’t even seem to be Scorps. She just didn’t want to risk being remembered, so discreet was the best way to go. 

That was thrown completely out the window when Nora ran straight into her.

“You’re late, sinbin.”

Ellie rolled her eyes; for those two it always came back to hockey insults, and today apparently would be no different. Ellie was notorious for losing her temper and getting fouled, sending her to the bench, or “sin bin” for two minutes during games.

“Get out of my way, Nora,” she said, trying to push past the smirking girl.

“What’s the plan? Jesse said we were all supposed to meet up.”

“Look, just move” Ellie was getting incredibly frustrated. She wanted to be in and out, before she ran into Dina too. She didn’t have time for this.

With one last glance at Nora, she went the other direction, shoving her way through the bodies, one hand in front of her, the other hovering over the waistband of her pants in case she needed quick access to her gun or switchblade.

“Hey, soccer mom,” she shouted from the side of the stage where Jesse was vibing out. He didn’t hear her, but the guy next to him did, and pointed between the two. Ellie nodded, and waited for Jesse to walk over.

“What’s happnin’ man?” Jesse had a goofy grin on his face making it apparent that he was either hyped up from the music, or drunk.

“We’re just gonna check this place out,” she said in his ear over the throbbing music, “No need to get everyone, I’ll let you know if I find something.”

He shot her a set of finger guns, and did a little dance as he backed away, nearly stumbling over the speakers. Yup, definitely drunk.

Ellie shook her head and made her way back to her side of the room. She didn’t know what she was looking for as she scanned the crates lining the wall of the warehouse. What Tommy had told her was useful; the phantoms were out for someone’s blood, and if her suspicions were correct, were spreading the vaccine as a sort of incentive for the person to either come forward, or to be brought in forcefully. The only thing that didn’t line up was why the person they were looking for would care if the Vaccine was spread. The only way it would affect them would be if… her heart rate picked up. The person they were looking for was connected to one of the gang leaders, who felt responsible for the people on their terf.

It _had_ to be Sarah, that’s why she and Joel were acting so weird, and why they wouldn’t let her anywhere near the Westside. But that still didn’t explain the missing bodies, or why they seemed to be okay with killing randomly. Why Manny and not Owen?

Just as the pieces were starting to fit together, they came a part again.

Ellie found a bag shoved between two of the boxes but kicked it when the only thing that fell out were a few screwdrivers and a wrench. What could Firefly be hiding in the warehouse that needed surveillance?

“Hey.”

Ellie turned to find a teen she’d never seen before come to a stop at her side. She grunted and went back to walking along the perimeter of the room.

“You the guy?”

“What?” Ellie turned around, annoyed when the girl continued to follow her.

“Someone was supposed to meet me, and I’ve never seen you before,” she looked Ellie up and down, “do you have it?”

Ellie stopped cold and turned to face the girl standing in front of her. She couldn’t have been older than fifteen, but she was pale, and had bloodshot eyes.

“No, sorry,” she said, turning back around. A kid, that girl was a kid, and someone had slipped her the vaccine. Dina had been going on and on about “choices” back at the diner, and yet here was another person who hadn’t been given one. No one _chose_ to be jumped with a syringe, instantly becoming addicted. Nothing was that black and white.

“Let me know when you find your guy” Ellie said. This girl was expecting someone she didn’t know, likely the Viper that was dealing. If she could catch whoever that was, she’d be golden.

“Wait-” Ellie turned back around, “how long have you been… you know. Do you have gaps in your memory, woken up somewhere you don’t remember going to?”

The girl’s eyes widened, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She ran off before Ellie could say anything else, and she sighed to herself, resuming her search. The kid didn’t seem too far gone yet; it was only during withdrawal, when people turned into the demons, she’d fought a couple days before, that people started acting against their will. That’s why Lev’s mom needed deliveries.

Ellie’s eye widened; did Joel have some sort of agreement with the phantoms to get the vaccine on top of them wanting Sarah? And what about Firefly? Joel hadn’t seemed surprised at all to find Talia alive. Just how many secrets did he have?

“You hurt Jesse’s feelings, you know.”

Ellie looked up once again to find a girl standing in front of her, but that time it was Dina.

“What are you talking about?”

“You didn’t say hi to him when you got here.”

“I _just_ talked to him,” she said, glancing over at the stage, “Seemed fine to me,” she said, crouching down to open a crate, which wound up being empty.

“Shit,” she muttered to herself.

“I think he’s got a ‘crush’ on you.”

Ellie snorted and unclamped the next box, “Yeah, okay.”

Dina watched Ellie’s unsuccessful searching for a few minutes before speaking again.

“I don’t need you to protect me, look at how my parents ‘protecting’ me turned out,” Dina said, bending beside her. “I get it, I do. So be mad, I don’t care. But you have to respect my decision, because this is my fight too.”

Ellie worked her jaw. The truth was, maybe it wasn’t really _Dina_ she was trying to protect, but herself. She didn’t think she could take losing someone else.

“Well, you got what you wanted, so.”

“Ellie, you don’t get it. This isn’t about winning a stupid argument-”

“I respect your decision, all right?”

“How about you let me finish?” she asked, bumping Ellie’s shoulder, “I was going to say: This isn’t about winning a stupid argument. You’re the only person in this entire room, this entire city that I trust.”

“You shouldn’t-”

“ _Stop it_ ,” Dina said so forcefully Ellie looked up, “Stop trying to tell me how I should feel. I know I shouldn’t _want_ to be around you because you’ve been a real dick, but I do. My parents, Jesse, my sister have been lying to me every day for my entire life. But you didn’t. Why?”

“Because I’d want someone to tell me.”

“And that’s exactly why I trust you. I couldn’t give less of a shit about you being a Viper and my family Scorps. You don’t have to do this on your own.”

“I’m not on my own.”

“Oh yeah? Where are your friends then?”

“They’re looking on the other side…” Ellie sighed, “because I told them to.”

For someone who was afraid of being alone, she had a terrible habit of pushing people away.

Ellie sighed, “I’m sorry.”

“Good.”

Dina grabbed her hand and started pulling her towards the dancefloor.

“What are you doing?”

“You’re making it up to me.”

“We have a job,” she laughed.

“And it’s not going anywhere.”

She let Dina lead her out, even though her mind was screaming at her, telling her that she’d end up dead too.

“What are you doing?” Dina laughed when she kept her arms firmly at her sides when they stopped in the center of the mass of dancers. “Here,” she grabbed Ellie’s hands and gently guided them to her waist, before putting her own around Ellie’s shoulders, bringing them closer than they’d ever been before.

Ellie looked away nervously, keeping her eyes on everything around her instead of the girl in her arms. “This isn’t a slow song, you know.” On the stage, Jesse was thrashing his head around to the techno music.

“Don’t give a shit about that either,” Dina said in her ear.

Ellie focused on her breathing, trying to keep from spiraling in front of Dina for the second time in twenty-four hours. Somehow, their slow swaying in the raging sea of dancing managed to calm her.

“What are you thinking about?” Dina asked, inches from her ear, “Because if you imagine me in a coffin one more time, I’m-”

“Her name was Riley,” Ellie said, and Dina stiffened, instantly listening. “She was helping me look for my sister when they got her. Once in the back,” her fingers trailed up Dina’s back to where she remembered the first shot, “and the second here,” her other hand lightly brushed Dina’s abdomen. “She said it wasn’t my fault. It was.”

Ellie huffed, and looked away again, “So… I’m sorry, I’m not good with… I just, with her, and my parents, and Manny, and just everything. I don’t want that for you- You’re a good person, Dina.”

“And you’re not?”

Ellie only shook her head, “You don’t know me. Not really.”

I don’t even know me, she wanted to say.

“I know enough,” Dina said, and did the one thing she’d wanted to do since that afternoon at the planetarium. She took a strand of Auburn hair and tucked it behind her ear.

Ellie shuddered under her touch, and finally looked at her. Those eyes that were both kind, and dangerous at the same time, warm and sharp. And then they wandered to her lips, and suddenly both of their eyes were closing, and there was no longer any distance between them.

“Whoa,” Ellie breather out when they broke apart.

It was the only word she could find that summed up how she felt, as she grinned at Dina, who was looking at her in a way she’d never been looked at before… as if somehow their kiss had changed everything.

Ellie blushed and looked away, but as she did, she caught something in the corner that she hadn’t before. It had been hidden by the UV lights and giant group of people surrounding the DJ station. “There’s a second floor,” Ellie whispered.

“Seriously? That’s what you’re thinking about right now?” Dina hit her shoulder lightly.

“No, it’s just…”

“I’m messing with you,” Dina laughed, once again taking Ellie’s hand, “Let’s go check it out,”

She felt lightheaded, almost high; she’d never been kissed like that before. Riley had been different: familiar, flighty, as if she was seconds away from running off. But Dina, she was there, all of her, and didn’t seem to be afraid to show it.

Ellie stumbled a little, and Dina looked back with a teasing smile as they ducked around the corner and faced the set of stairs. Ellie’s demeanor instantly changed, and she pulled her gun out in front of her. To her surprise, Dina did the same.

It was two flights, and they ascended them in silence until they reached the doorway, where Ellie held her finger to her lips. The room in front of them was dark, so she didn’t spot the shadow racing across the floor towards her.

“Ellie-” she didn’t catch the rest of Dina’s warning when someone crashed into her, sending them both tumbling down the stairs in a tangle of limbs, and Ellie found herself once again pinned underneath a Scorp.

“You,” Ellie narrowed her eyes and snapped her head forward in a headbutt, sending a shot of pain through her forehead, but giving her the advantage she needed to buck her attacker off.

A bruised Ellie scrambled up to pull out her gun, but Dina was already down the stairs, hand clenched around her own as she came eye to eye with her sister. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! So some things are starting to click into place, but there's still a lot for "Mystery Incorporated" to figure out. Is Sarah the person the Phantoms are after? Where are bodies disappearing to? Which Viper is the traitor? 
> 
> I hope everyone had a great day!! 
> 
> Thank you so much for your comments and kudos, I love reading what you guys think!


	14. C-U-R-E

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new perspective

Abby rubbed the quarter she’d grabbed from the stack that had accumulated near her father’s bedside table.

“Finally found a Wyoming,” she said looking at the figure riding a horse that was stamped into the metal. “2007.”

Abby looked up from the coin to her father, whose chest rose and fell with the steady whir of the machines and carts beside him. She’d never really gotten used to seeing him that way, hooked up to a thousand cables and wires that kept him breathing. He’d been so alive, so excited for the research he’d been doing at the university.

“Remember that time we went out to the zoo?” she asked, looking back down at the coin, “Most of us younger Vipes had never even left Jackson, so you convinced The Old Man to let all of us ride upstate for a day…” Abby smiled to herself. “All of my friends were there, were alive. Owen, Manny, Riley, El, Lev. Can you believe how much of the world we haven’t seen? How much we’ve lost? It wasn’t until I saw Zebras for the first time that I realized that,” Abby clenched the armrests of her hospital chair, “That was a good day, the best day.”

She flipped the coin back and forth between her hands. Heads, she told herself, would mean she’d leave; she’d get on her bike, try and convince her remaining friends to come with her, and never look back. Tails meant she’d stay.

It was always tails, even when George Washington’s face stared up at her. What she wanted could never be.

A knock on the door sounded, and she turned to find a nurse walk in.

“Evening, Abby, Mr. Anderson,” she said, walking towards the I.V. bag hanging by her father. Abby liked that about her, how she addressed her dad even though he was unconscious 95% of the time. 

“Hey, Marlene,” Abby sighed, pulling one leg to her chest and looking at the Viper Joel had gotten on her dad’s case. “How’s he been doing today?”

The nurse shot her a sympathetic look she hated, “Same old, same old. He woke up for a little while, but still can’t breathe on his own. These things take time, Abby,” she said, moving on to write something down in her charts.

Jerry had been in the hospital for nearly a month after getting hurt on a job with Joel. The Old Man had told her they’d been ambushed by Scorps during a routine check along the border. She didn’t know the details, and wasn’t sure she wanted to, given the state her father had been in. While his cuts were now scars, and the bruises faded, Abby was afraid he’d never be the same.

“Just another five, alright? Visiting hours are almost over- When you’re lost in the dark,”

“Look for the light,” Abby said as Marlene quietly closed the door behind her.

Abby sighed heavily and took her father’s hand in her own. “This is bullshit, and Joel knows it. First you, then… then Manny,” she squeezed her eyes tightly, “I think Ellie’s right, he’s hiding something. Something big. Miller lite and I… we’re working with some people, think we can do what The Old Man won’t. We’ll get whoever did this, whether it’s the Scorps are the Phantoms. I swear we will.”

“This is stupid…” Abby muttered to herself, “You can’t even hear me.” She kept talking anyway though, about everything he was missing while he was stuck in the hospital. “Miller, she’s an idiot, but she’s one of the good ones. You know, she tagged the Southside water tower for me? No one’s ever done something that stupid for me, except maybe Owen.”

She let out a shaky breath as a couple tears slipped down her cheeks and she roughly rubbed them away. “I know you were on to something before the accident, you said you were so close. I just wish you would’ve told me, I-” her words caught in her throat when the hand in hers squeezed three times.

I love you.

“Dad,” her voice came out in a harsh whisper when she looked up to see her father’s watery blue eyes straining to see her. “Marlene said you already woke up today, I didn’t’ think…”

He squeezed her hand again, but there was a worried look on his face.

“I’m not staying out of it,” Abby said. She and her dad had always been like that, able to communicate with looks alone, “I know you were looking into the vaccine and it’s affects, it’s getting worse,” she was trying to say as much as she could before he lost consciousness again, and her thoughts were coming out jumbled. “Do you think you can tell me what happened? Or at least what happened with your research? It’s spreading, and people are dying, we found a-”

Jerry tapped her hand, and she flipped it, bracing for his answer. Slowly he began to trace letters onto her palm.

J-O-E-L

Abby frowned, “We can’t go to him, he won’t tell us what’s going on.”

Her father waved his hand around, and once again wrote out the name.

“I don’t understand,” she sighed in frustration, pinching the bridge of her nose. 

Her dad watched her, eyes already drooping again as he fought to stay awake. Slowly, he turned her hand over one more time and managed to trace four letters onto her hand before he lost consciousness.

C-U-R-E

…

Abby watched Ellie sulk off before turning to Lev. They had so much to talk about, but no time to do it. Everything would have to wait until after the party. The very obnoxious, loud party. Speaking of…

“So. Who have you been going to parties with?” Abby asked, raising an eyebrow at Lev.

“Not telling,” he smirked, as they began to walk through the crowd of people.

“Come on, you should’ve at least invited me. I love parties,” she said and winced. That was a complete lie. 

“Abby,” Lev turned to face her, “Do you know how lame it would be to show up with my sister?”

She faltered at that, “You consider me your sister?”

“Well, obviously. You and Ellie are the closest thing I have to… well, you know.”

Abby let the party issue drop and ruffled his hair. “I’ve always wanted a little brother. Come on, let’s get a look around.”

The cold feeling in her stomach turned into warmth not everything in the world was half bad. She’d be okay as long as she had the people she cared about, even if things would never be the same.

“There’s nothing over here,” Lev said, as they looked across the left side of the building. Abby groaned when she realized he was right; while the right side of the warehouse was packed with boxes, this one was nearly completely empty.

“Why aren’t we working with the Scorpions anymore?” Lev asked when Abby leaned up against the wall in frustration.

“They’re not like us, Lev. What if one of them betrays us?”

“But aren’t they taking the same risk? The Old Man may ‘show mercy,’” he said, quoting their boss, “but he doesn’t forgive.”

Abby pursed her lips at the mention of Joel; why had her dad been trying to talk about him, instead of more about the supposed cure? Was is some sort of antidote to the vaccine? Would it be able to restore the health of the withdrawal-suffering demons, or were they too far gone?

“Maybe…” Abby trailed off when she spotted a familiar face in the crowd of dancers, a drink in hand.

“What the hell? Am I hallucinating, or is that…”

“That’s definitely Owen,” Lev confirmed.

“I’ll kick his ass,” Abby pushed herself off the wall, and started stomping towards the dance floor. She didn’t have to push past anyone, they parted like the red sea courtesy of her tank-like physique. A worried Lev trailed behind her.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, stopping in front of Owen, arms crossed.

“What am _I_ ,” his eyes were wide, “What are _you_ doing here- this is the Southside.”

“Yeah, I’m aware of that, Sherlock.” Abby shifted her focus to the girl beside him, “Who is this?”

Owen cleared his throat, “I’m taking care of some business,” his eyes shifted nervously in warning. Her eyebrows raised in surprise- had Joel _really_ sent him there to talk to what looked like a sick fifteen-year-old girl?

Abby looked between the two of them, her eyes lingering on the frail looking girl for a little longer, “Fine- but find me afterwards. For all I knew, you could’ve been dead.”

“Hey,” Owen smiled, opening his arms wide, “You know that’s not true. How about a dance after-” he cursed when he looked to his side and the girl was gone.

“Hey!” Abby turned to find Nora storming towards her, “I’ve been looking for you, what is _wrong_ with you people? I thought we had a plan- but Miller just blew me off, and-”

“Watch your mouth,” Abby said through her teeth. There was nothing she hated more than a mouthy Scorp, especially after her dad’s accident. 

Nora laughed. _Laughed_. 

“Wow, you Vipes are all the same. Strike first, ask-” Abby lunged, sending down both of them toppling to the ground. Chaos ensued, as the people around them fell over too. Someone started screaming, and suddenly one fist fight turned into several, which led to gunshots as Scorps pulled out their weapons.

“We’re under attack!” Someone yelled.

Abby wrestled with Nora, receiving a blow to the jaw after landing one to the other girl’s gut.

“Abby,” Lev called. She ignored him, and ducked as Nora aimed another punch, opting to charge at her, digging her shoulder into the girl’s side. Lev called her name again, but it took Owen squeezing in-between them to get her attention.

“ _What_?”

He held both hands out to keep the girls apart. “We need to get out of here before the police show up.”

She knew he was right; even thought the music was playing, the gunshots were becoming more frequent and there was a frenzy of movement in all directions.

“Miller,” she said keeping herself from looking in Nora’s direction, “She’s here somewhere too.”

“You two, out,” he shouted, ducking as another gunshot went off, “I’ll look for her.”

“But-”

“Out,” he growled, and Abby listened. Not because she wanted to, but because he had the most experience, and more often than not, he knew what to do.

“Come on,” Abby grabbed Lev’s arm and they weaved and ducked through elbows and pistols, keeping as close to the ground as they could.

“My bike,” Abby growled, when they finally made it outside, “It’s gone.”

“Ellie’s is too,” Lev said, looking in the empty spot.

They both waited what felt like hours for Owen to show up, turning every time someone ran out of the building. Finally, he showed up, holding a familiar looking switchblade.

“El would never leave that behind on purpose,” Lev said quietly.

“This way,” Owen said, running past them, “I brought the van.”

“What happened?” Abby asked, jogging after him, “And who the _fuck_ stole my bike?”

“I don’t know,” Owen said, turning the corner, “But let’s find out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 👀
> 
> Thanks for reading and commenting!! Reading everyone's comments makes my day❤️


	15. I’ll Follow You Into The Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dina remembers a promise, and makes one 
> 
> I highly recommend listening to "I will follow you into the dark" by Death Cab for Cutie while reading this chapter. This is the song that's going through Dina's head in this chapter.

_Love of mine, someday you will die_

_But I’ll be close behind_

_I’ll follow you into the dark_

“Remind me why we invited Jesse again?” Talia asked, and glanced back to see him walking with JJ on his shoulders as they made their way down the crowded sidewalk.

“He’s a good guy- he is,” seventeen-year-old Dina insisted at the look her sister gave her, “And it’s JJ’s birthday, do you really think Robin wouldn’t invite her own son?”

They looked at Jesse’s parents as they strolled in front of them, taking in all of the sights the zoo had to offer.

“I know,” Talia sighed, “It takes a lot for someone to admit they’re in over their heads. I think this was the right decision- I’m proud of you. Both of you,” she added begrudgingly. 

Dina only nodded, knowing her sister was right, “He deserves real parents, not…” She glanced back again at Jesse, and his wide grin as JJ held onto his hair as if they were reigns, “Not us.”

_No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white_

_Just our hands clasped so tight_

_Waiting for the hint of a spark_

“Hey,” Talia grabbed her hand, “at least mom and dad are calmer now.”

Dina pursed her lips; her parents talking to her again instead of ignoring her as she walked through the house just because she’d gotten pregnant was a sore topic. She was their daughter, but while JJ had been living with them, they treated her like an alien.

“I don’t care what they think.”

“You should,” Talia said, “They’re powerful people.”

“And I don’t want their connections and money if that’s what you’re getting at,” Dina snapped, shooting her sister a glare. “I can make my own way.”

She left out “unlike you.”

She’d never been the favorite child, and never would be. While everything seemed to come easy to Talia, the same couldn’t be said for Dina. She didn’t care about moving up the ladder to valedictorian or getting prestigious internships. She just wanted to be with the people she loved, no matter how much it hurt, or in her parent’s case, no matter how much less they loved her than her sister. But it was getting harder and harder to do that.

And Jesse… he may have been an awful boyfriend, but he was her best friend. Even though they argued like crazy, and had a nasty break up, she trusted him with her deepest secrets, like how she sometimes wished she’d been born into a different family, or that she liked girls too.

Other than him, the only other person she had was Talia.

_If heaven and hell decide_

_That they both are satisfied_

_Illuminate the No's on their vacancy signs_

“Let’s check these guys out,” Talia said, pointing at a sign for another animal exhibit.

“I don’t want to need them,” Dina said quietly as they split from their group. Jesse had continued to follow Robin and his stepdad further into the zoo.

“What do you mean?”

“Mom and Dad- you saw how they ignored me, talked about me like I wasn’t even there. I don’t ever want to feel like it’s because of _them_ that I get into college, or get a job. But…”

“But?”

“But I don’t want to be alone,” Dina smiled sadly, “You know?”

“Well, you’ll always have me, if that helps any,” her sister said, putting her arm around Dina’s shoulders.

_If there's no one beside you  
When your soul embarks  
Then I'll follow you into the dark_

“Promise?”

Talia touched her chest in fake shock, “You doubt me, little sister? I’ll have you know, I’d follow you anywhere- Arizona, the moon, hell. You go, I go.”

“Holy shit, you’ve gotta see this!”

Dina turned to see a girl maybe a year or two younger than her running up to the exhibit in front of them, a man who must’ve been her dad trailing behind her.

“Don’t scare it,” the girl said as they approached one of the giraffes who was incredibly close to the fence.

“I won’t, I won’t,” her dad chuckled.

“Has that kid never seen a giraffe before?” Talia raised an eyebrow, but Dina kept watching. The two were leaning up against the barrier, shoulder to shoulder.

“So… this everything you were hoping for?”

The girl looked over at him. Dina didn’t get to see her face since she’d run up to the exhibit so fast, but despite that, she looked like she’d been on a long journey that had led her to that very moment of rest.

“What are Vipers doing out of Jackson?”

“What?” Dina glanced over at her sister.

“Nothing. Come on, we should catch up with the others.”

…

Dina took a sharp intake of breath as her sister looked up at her from the ground.

“Ellie,” she nudged her head, and the younger girl returned to her side.

“You okay?” she didn’t take her eyes off of Talia, but she noticed Ellie rubbing at her arm.

“Yeah,” Ellie nodded, “So I guess we know what Firefly’s hiding in here.”

The song, her and Talia’s song, rung through her head, and anger flashed through Dina.

_If there's no one beside you  
When your soul embarks  
Then I'll follow you into the dark_

Talia stayed on the ground, still held at gunpoint by both girls, but she sneered. “You filthy Vipe, you told her? You deserve that,” she said, pointing to Ellie’s stitched eyebrow. 

“I figured it out on my own,” Dina said, eyes cold, “And-” she glanced at Ellie, “ _She’s_ the pole you ran into?” Ellie smiled warily, and Dina only shook her head before looking at Talia again.

“You promised. Do you remember that day at the zoo? You go, I go. That’s what _you_ said. But you lied. All of you did.”

“We were trying to protect you. You never would’ve had to know, I was set to become leader as the oldest, you were just…”

“Back up,” Ellie said, glaring at Talia, “Yeah, I know the feeling.”

“Shut your mouth, Miller, you have no right. In fact,” she stood up, looking rumpled but uninjured, “Stay the hell away from my sister.”

“You don’t have a sister,” Dina said, lowering her gun and looking away. “Come on, babe, I can’t do this right now.”

Talia looked from Dina to Ellie, a nasty look crossing over her face before she once again launched herself at Ellie.

“I’m not-” Ellie grunted when she received a punch to the gut, “Here to fight you.” She slipped her gun in her pants and opted for her switchblade instead, holding it in front of her. She didn’t want to hurt Talia, especially because she was related to Dina, but if it came down to it, with a party full of people downstairs, she’d rather not shoot the first bullet.

“We’re here for information,” Dina said, arms crossed in front of her chest. She wasn’t worried; Talia had no weapon, and Ellie could hold her own, she’d seen enough on the ice rink to be sure of that.

“Just stay _out_ -”

“She won’t,” Ellie said, and Dina glanced at her in surprise, “She’s just as much a part of this as you or me. So, let’s start with the obvious. Why’d you fake your own death?”

A flood of affection for Ellie made its way through Dina. Finally, she understood; fighting wasn’t about being stubborn, or throwing herself in danger. She was doing this because like it or not, this was her fight too.

Talia laughed, “I’m not just going to give information to a baby vipe.”

“I’m the one with the knife,” Ellie said, moving closer. A gunshot echoed up to the room, and they all froze.

“Was that-” Talia shoved Ellie’s arm, sending the knife clattering, and darted from the room.

“Wait,” Dina said, catching Ellie’s arm before she took off too, “WE don’t know what’s going on down there.”

“So we’re just going to let her get away?” Dina could tell Ellie was itching to run after Talia, and she was too. They needed answers, and she had the key, but they couldn’t be reckless.

“We need to be smart about this- how about the window?”

They walked over, and found if they were careful, they would be able to slide from the slanting roof of the warehouse onto the garage next door, and then to the ground, avoiding the conflict downstairs completely.

“Ellie, give me a hand?”

The red head’s eyes had been glancing around the floor as if she were looking for something, but Dina’s voice called her back to the moment. As the yelling grew more rampant below them, they managed to pry the old window open just in time to spot Talia sticking a screwdriver into the ignition of Abby’s bike.

“No, no, no,” Ellie nearly jumped out of the window as the bike revved up, and she slid down the slatted roof like a slide, barely landing on her feet when she reached the garage. Dina was right behind her a little disoriented by the other girl’s haste, but Ellie was there to catch her when she landed.

“Abby’s gonna be _so_ pissed,” Ellie said as she clambered down the ladder going down the side of the garage. Dina followed her as they both ran to the other bike.

“Here,” Ellie tossed Dina the only helmet, not giving her any time to protest as she mounted the bike and waited for her to get on the back. At any other time, Dina would’ve poked fun at all of the stickers covering the matte black, or insisted as the driver, for Ellie to wear the helmet, but with so much at stake, she pulled it over her head, wrapped her arms around Ellie’s waist, and braced herself.

Ellie took off like a rocket, following the sound of the other bike as they raced through the streets of the Southside.

As they cut corners and ignored stop signs, only two thought floated through Dina’s head. One: she wondered how someone could so easily choose to leave someone they loved behind, and two: she would never say “you go, I go,” unless she not only meant it, but believed she’d be able to fulfill that promise with every part of her being.

_If there's no one beside you  
When your soul embarks  
Then I'll follow you into the dark  
Then I'll follow you into the dark_

She would’ve gone to the depths of the universe for Talia, for her parents, for Jesse. But now, the only people she had in the entire world were JJ and Ellie.

She closed her eyes and squeezed the girl’s waist tighter. She wasn’t ready to say it directly to her yet, but in that moment, with the rumbling of the bike in their ears, she could say it clearly with no repercussions. Because even though they’d only just connected, Dina felt like she’d known Ellie for forever. Their kiss had only solidified that; in Ellie’s arms it felt like she’d finally returned home after an eternity, a lifetime away.

So for now, saying it was a promise to herself, that she wouldn’t leave Ellie the way Talia had left her, that she wouldn’t allow herself to walk away from something so willingly. That she wouldn’t try to punish herself for all of her shortcomings by pushing this away and being alone. 

“You go, I go,” she whispered into the wind, and she meant it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, now we know how Abby's bike was stolen, and Ellie's right she IS pissed lol. 
> 
> I really enjoyed including the giraffe scene in this chapter! I thought it would be cool to have Ellie and Dina be within each other's important memories, even if they don't realize it. So it's sort of like they've known each other all a long. And just to clarify- this is the zoo trip Abby was talking about in the last chapter. She and her dad broke off from the group just like Ellie and Joel. 
> 
> I hope everyone's having a great weekend!! Thanks for reading and commenting :)


	16. A six?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joel's lie is discovered... one of them, at least

Ellie held onto her handlebars so tightly her knuckles were turning white as she pushed her bike to the limit. Even though she was following Talia, Dina’s sister was in the back of her mind. She’d lost it, her one connection to her mother; the switch blade she’d left behind.

“Where is she going?” Ellie muttered to herself as she took another sharp turn. They’d been tailing Talia for nearly ten minutes and was growing impatient. She sped up when the taillight of Abby’s bike grew closer, but Dina tugged at her arm.

“Hey, slow down.”

Ellie eased up on the throttle and grew closer; she hadn’t been catching up, Talia had slowed down. Seconds later, Ellie pulled up beside her.

“So, you’re a thief _and_ a liar.”

Talia ignored Ellie and looked at Dina, “I hate her so much.”

“Why did you run?”

“I needed to check on something, thought I’d jump on the opportunity.”

“You owe us a better explanation than that,” Ellie spoke up, “You _stole_ -”

“Jesus, I’ll give the bike back. I was there…” she pinched her nose the same way Dina did, “Look. I was hiding out on Firefly’s- dad’s orders,” she glanced at Dina, “The Phantoms…”

“You?” Ellie raised her eyebrows, “They’re after you?”

“No…” Talia gave her a confused look, “we thought some might show up to the party. So I was hiding out up there in case anything happened. And then you two jumped me.”

Ellie glared, “We did _not_ -”

“And why’d you fake your death?” Dina interrupted.

“Dina, let’s not do this here- come on, might as well show you what’s going on since you’re going to follow me anyway.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you until you answer my question.”

“Yeah,” Ellie mirrored Dina, and scowled. 

“We needed…” another nose pinch, “We needed the Phantoms to believe I’d cut ties with the Scorps.”

Ellie’s eyes widened, “Firefly’s working with Joel, isn’t he?”

“Look, I answered your question,” she turned to Dina, “And as for whatever _this_ is,” she said gesturing between her and Ellie, “I have no idea how Firefly will react, this could be dangerous.”

“Good thing it’s not up to you.”

Ellie rubbed her neck awkwardly, once again feeling like she was in the middle of an argument about her.

“I’m just saying-”

“Yes, you said,” Dina handed the helmet to Ellie and got off the bike, “But if you ever touch her again, I’ll shoot. We both know I was always the better shot.”

Talia held her hands up, in surrender, but gave Ellie a dirty look.

“Follow me.”

Dina grabbed Ellie’s hand and squeezed as they walked towards a dimly lit house that was surrounded by a wooden privacy gate.

“Whose protecting who now?” Ellie murmured, before calling out to Talia. “What is this place?”

“Where demons go to be cleansed.”

“ _What_?”

Talia held her finger up to her lips as they approached the door, and Ellie quieted even though she didn’t like the sound of that at all. From through the door, she could hear low, pained groans and shuffling.

“They’re sensitive to loud noises so try to be quiet.”

After slipping a key in, she slowly creaked the door open and Ellie braced herself for an attack. The house was full of demons just like the ones in the building that she and Jesse has stumbled upon.

“A demon house?” Dina asked.

“No,” Talia said, crouching down to one of the people slumped over on the couch, “A demon hospital. All around them, people were shuffling around, some staring blankly at them, others looking like they were seconds away from death.

“We can’t save everyone,” Talia said, “but we try to help as many people as we can. It takes about a week to get the vaccine completely flushed out of their systems. Firefly and The Old Man,” she spared a glance at Ellie before moving to the next sick person, “Yes. They’ve been working together. I was sent in with Sarah- separately. My objective was to get close to the king, and hers…” she trailed off.

“No, she said _she_ was supposed to do that.”

“Look. The details aren’t important right now. I’ve told you what I know, now it’s your turn. Why are you in the Southside?”

“We were trying to figure out what Joel was hiding,” Ellie said guiltily, “Guess we figured it out…”

Ellie still didn’t understand why he wouldn’t let her help, though. None of this seemed particularly dangerous, and-

“Manny?”

Ellie froze when she caught sight of a man bun and scruffy beard. The brown eyes that looked back at her were bloodshot and yellow, but there was a slight flash of recognition as Ellie barreled into him.

“We thought you were dead, Joel let us think…” she growled at the lie she’d been allowed to believe, “He let us think you were dead. What happened? Who did this to you? Why did they dose you and not Owen? Where’s the bullet wound?”

“Whoa, whoa, slow down,” Talia said, waving her hand in front of Manny’s face and nor receiving even a blink in reaction, “He’s still out of it, he just got here. It’ll be another week and a half before he’ll be able to talk.”

“I’ve gotta tell Abby,” she said, patting her pockets for her phone.

As if on cue, a thump echoed through the house, and they whipped their heads around. Manny let out a guttural moan and covered his ears.

“Who the-”

“Why is there a screwdriver in my ignition?” 

Abby’s voice boomed through the front door, and Ellie couldn’t help but laugh with relief. Maybe everything would be okay, if Manny would get better, and the only think Joel had been lying about was helping people.

Ellie was the first to move and opened the door to have Abby nearly fall on top of her.

“Miller- you good? What happened?” Her expression turned from one of anger into one of concern.

Ellie glanced over her shoulder to find the battered Viper van, and Lev and Owen waiting nearby as backup.

“Yeah, all good, listen-”

“I called the cops, you’d better come out, thief- I’ll get you for grand theft auto… moto?” She asked glancing at Ellie, who’d started to go into panic mode.

“Please tell me you didn’t,” she said, trying to push the bulky girl out of the doorway, “This place is full of demons, you know what they’ll do if they find them right?”

“Who cares?” Abby grunted, trying to see past Ellie, “I want to see justice, they stole my _bike_ , El.”

Talia finally arrived at the door, and pushed past Ellie. “Listen here, meathead. These people are recovering. Do whatever you need to do to keep the cops away. You know how demons get when they’re provoked.”

“Again, not my problem.”

“Abby,” Ellie touched her arm to get her attention, “Manny. He’s alive.”

All of the anger in the other girl’s face melted away, “What?”

“He’s alive.”

“Joel,” Abby’s eyes narrowed, “Ellie there’s something off about him, my dad, he-”

She cut off when the shriek of approaching sirens reached their ears.

“Dina,” Ellie instantly moved out of the doorway, and glanced back, “Go with Owen and Lev,” she glanced towards the van, where they were already getting back in. The demons inside were starting to get antsy as the noise grew.

“What?”

“I’m not leaving Manny. We can handle the cops,” she said, nodding at Abby.

“Like hell I will,” she said, side stepping a demon that swiped his hand through the air violently.

She didn’t have time to protest as the first cop car whipped around the street corner and raced towards them. Within seconds the demons were not only attacking the gang members, but each other.

“Stay in the van!” Ellie shouted in the direction of the van, hoping they’d hear.

“Where’s Manny?” Abby asked, wide eyed as the second police car pulled up.

“Hand in the air!” the first cop yelled, crouching behind her car, “Seth, I’m going to need some back up, here.”

An old man stepped out of the second car as the yard filled with demons, and he pulled his gun out.

“No! Don’t shoot!” Ellie shouted.

Neither responded and she decided to take matters into her own hands, attempting to wrangle all of the people back into the small house. Every time she managed to get one in, another slipped out.

More and more cops were pulling up, some watching from their cars waiting for a moment to step in, others starting to tackle and handcuff the disoriented demons.

“Hey- hands up.”

Ellie turned around to find the old guy, Seth, watching her with an evil glint in his eyes.

“They’re not doing anything wrong, your sirens, they-”

All of the breath was knocked out of her lungs as they man wrestled her to the ground. He clamped cold handcuffs around her wrists, dug a knee in her spine, and smashed her face against the dead grass.

“Call Maria,” Ellie said when she caught Abby’s eye as she was yanked up and led to the car. Most of the time Abby was saved for last when it came to being arrested, so she would have the most time to get help.

Seth roughly shoved the top of her head down into the car, and slammed the door shut behind him.

…

Ellie glared at the cement wall as she rubbed at the bruises on her wrists. Those cuffs had been way too tight, and he’d known it.

“It’ll be alright, Dina,” Ellie said, glancing to her side.

“I’ve never been arrested before,” she said worriedly.

“Well, now you can check it off your bucket list,” Ellie said, her joke falling flat, and she returned to glaring at the wall.

The only sound they heard was the phone ringing in the office across from them, and the scraping of shoes against cement in the cell beside them.

“We’re gonna be stuck here a while, right?”

“Totally trapped,” Ellie smirked, pulling her legs up to her chest. 

“Can I ask you a question?”

“I don’t know, can you?” Ellie quipped, moving on to pick at a hole in her jeans.

“Scale of one to ten, one being like absolute trash, and ten being… life altering. How would you rate our kiss?”

Ellie blushed and looked away, “I don’t know.” 

Dina was watching her, but she refused to meet her eyes.

“I’d give it a six.”

That got Ellie’s attention, and she looked back up in annoyance. “A _six_?!”

Dina shrugged, “Like a solid six. There were a lot of people around… what? Now I really want to know how you’d rate it.”

Ellie leaned her head up against the wall behind her, but turned so she was inches away from Dina. “I don’t think you do.”

They grew closer, Dina smiling, Ellie trying not to, when the jingling of keys caught their attention, and they pulled away.

“You’ve been bailed out,” Seth grunted.

Ellie was unsurprised to find Maria waiting for them after they were checked out, an exasperated look on her face. She was however, surprised to find a woman who looked like an older version of Dina at her side.

“You two have a lot of explaining to do,” Maria said, “but that can wait. There’s someone that wants to see you.

Ellie didn’t know what to expect when she got into the car with the two cops and Dina. Would they take them back to the demon house? Lecture them? Kill them? All three were wrong.

They took them to the bar below Ellie’s home, where both Joel and Firefly were waiting at a table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was so excited to use the dialogue from the kiss scene, and I thought this would be a cool place to put it. Nothing more romantic than a jail cell, lol. Let me know what you think!
> 
> Hope everyone's having a good week!


	17. Sorry about that, Miller Lite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A meeting gone wrong

Joel waited to start yelling until the others arrived; Abby had dropped Lev off at his house so he wouldn’t have to take any heat. Ellie felt like she was on trial as she stood in front of the table of “adults”: Joel, Firefly, Maria, Dina’s mom, and both of their older sisters.

“What were you _thinking_ , going into the Southside without letting me know?” He was looking at all of them, but Ellie knew he was mostly talking to her.

No one said anything, and Ellie shuffled her feet. This had all started with her and Jesse working together, and they’d been the ones to rope their friends in. She looked around at the gang leaders glaring at them, and decided she’d take the fall. Even if Jesse _had_ been there, she’d do it- he had too much to lose, and what was the worst Joel could do, kick her out? It was obvious he wouldn’t send her out on a job no one else wanted, because that meant it was dangerous, and Sarah had been right, whether she liked it or not. She was the favorite.

“It’s my fault,” Ellie spoke up, looking Joel, and then Firefly directly in the eyes, “It was my idea to go to that party.”

“No,” Dina said loudly from beside her, stepping on Ellie’s foot before she could protest, “She’s lying. _I_ wanted to go because I figured out your lie, and… honestly? I wanted to piss you off.”

Ellie looked over at Firefly to see him shifting in his seat uncomfortably, “Dina-”

“No, let me finish.”

Just like Ellie, Dina was likely the only person that could get away with cutting off a gang leader.

Ellie smirked as Firefly’s eyes flicked to their joined hands.

“All of you,” Dina said, glancing at her mom and Talia, “lied to me, not once, but every. Single. Day. And then let me think she was dead? I don’t care that you’re Scorpions, I don’t. I care that you didn’t trust me enough to tell me.”

“Dina,” her father said again, looking more frustrated than angry, “Do you know what happens when you let a little girl believe she’s a princess her entire life?”

“ _What_?” Her grip on Ellie’s hand tightened.

“She grows up thinking things will just be given to her, expecting people to bow down. To be the next Firefly you have to put others over yourself, you have to work hard for your power.”

Dina’s mouth dropped open and Ellie’s eyes widened. It all made sense; Dina’s impeccable shooting, her confidence, the way she held herself… Firefly had been shaping her into the next leader of the Scorpions.

So she wasn’t like her, Ellie realized. Joel would never let her lead, that was Sarah’s role; their positions were reversed. Ellie had grown up with a gun in her waistband, but would never be the leader, while Dina had grown up without having to constantly look over her shoulder, and would be Firefly someday.

“Now that you know, it’s time for you to join the Scorps.”

“Hey,” Maria barked from beside Dina’s mom, whose face was an unreadable mask, “Enough of the family drama. Thanks to you kids we’ve got a jail full of demons, and a five dead.”

“If you would’ve just told us, we wouldn’t have had to sneak around with a Scorp,” Abby said, sending a dirty look in Talia’s direction.

“We didn’t because you’re _children_ ,” Dina’s mom snapped, “And this is exactly what happens when you get involved.”

“Oh, but Ellie and Jesse can get shot at, get in fights just because they’re ‘enemies?’” Dina asked in a tone just as testy as her mother’s.

“Just…” Firefly shook his head, “Control your Vipers, Joel. Especially your daughter.”

“From what is sounds like, it’s your daughter that plotted this, Jacob.”

Abby crossed her arms, “This is on me too- Owen had nothing to do with this,” she glanced at her boyfriend, “He was just doing what you asked.”

“What I…” Joel looked between all of them, his frown deepening, “I didn’t give out any assignments today.”

Abby glanced at Owen again, confusion flickering into suspicion. “But that’s what you said, when you were talking to that kid.”

Ellie’s heart sunk, and she let go of Dina’s hand to move closer to Owen accusingly, “A kid that looked a lot like a demon, right? Blood shot eyes, cracked lips?”

Abby frowned, about to reply, when Ellie was yanked back with a yelp, something sharp pressing into her throat.

“Move, and she’s dead,” Owen shouted as Joel and Firefly jumped up, sending their stools back with a loud scraping noise. Ellie struggled, trying to elbow him, but Owen managed to pin her arms, tightening his grip as the knife dug in deeper.

She was so, so tired of being used as leverage against Joel.

“What are you doing,” she rasped, keeping her head tilted up so the knife wouldn’t move.

“This isn’t about you, El,” he said, beginning to back them away, “It’s about him,” he nodded his head towards Joel. Of course it was; everything always came back to her dad. 

“What the hell do you mean by that?” Joel asked, standing dangerously still. Ellie was on her toes, keeping the blade from pressing into her in Owen’s rough grip. The only person in the room she was looking at was Joel as she waited for his answer.

“You listen here, boy. You’re going to put that knife down, and I _might_ not kill you.”

Owen scoffed in her ear, “Oh, like how you ‘didn’t kill’ Jerry?”

Everyone in the room froze; Dina’s eyes were wide, Abby was looking from Ellie to Owen to Joel as the pieces clicked into place, and the leaders around the table either had a hand at the holster on their waists leaned forward in anticipation, or had their guns pointed towards Owen like Joel.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Abby finally asked. She seemed to already know the answer, as her confused look had turned sharp. 

“It means,” Owen breathed heavily, “That he’s the reason your dad’s in the hospital. He was going to kill him, Abs. I was there.”

“Why…” Ellie looked at Joel, really looked at him. This was her dad, the man who’d rescued and adopted her, who’d taught her to play guitar… and who was also the leader of a gang. “Why would you do that?”

“Because,” Owen said before Joel could answer, “Jerry knew something. Didn’t he, _Joel_?” 

“The cure,” Abby said suddenly, “My dad found a cure to the vaccine, didn’t he?”

“I’m going to give you one more chance to let Ellie go,” Joel said, flicking the safety off his gun.

“More than a cure, Abby. A way to stop all of this- come with me.”

“You’re a traitor,” Abby hissed, “Dealing to kids just to get back at The Old Man?”

“No. Dealing in exchange for protection- I know what the cure is. The Phantoms have my back because they know what Joel will do when I get the cure to them.”

Owen started backing away again, and Ellie had no choice but to do the same.

“You think this is a game?” Joel thundered, “You’re out- and you,” he pointed to Abby, “If you go with him, you’re out too. We won’t protect you.”

“Protect me?’ You tried to kill my dad.”

Ellie saw her hand twitch to her leg holster; she had to do something, anything to keep this from escalating. Anger made people do terrible, awful things, and Abby was only human.

“I’ll go with you,” she grunted, “So you can leave, and no one gets hurt.”

“Ellie-”

“They’re my _friends_ ,” Ellie said, “Please. Riley’s dead because of you- don’t kill them too.”

For the briefest moment, regret washed over his face before it hardened again. “If I ever see you in the Southside again, I’ll put a bullet right between your eyes. No one, not even Ellie could save you then.”

Owen released Ellie, and she was able to breathe deeply again.

“You coming?” Owen asked Abby.

The girl looked around the room for a moment, before slowly nodding. “Yeah. I am.”

So that was it. Abby and Owen were outlaws, but neither said a word as they tossed their Viper jackets to the floor. Ellie followed them out of the room under the close eyes of everyone behind them, ensuring Joel didn’t make a move.

“I’m sorry,” Ellie said when they stepped outside, “I didn’t-” Abby grabbed her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug.

“You don’t have to apologize for Joel- you didn’t do anything.”

“I just… maybe you could infiltrate from the inside, you know? Figure this out without leaving the Vipes- stay.”

Abby sighed; like Ellie, this was all she’d ever known.

“I can’t.”

Owen stood awkwardly with his hands in his pockets when they broke apart.

“Sorry about that, Miller Lite.”

“No, Joel would’ve killed you…” Ellie glanced to the bar entrance, knowing he would only give it a few more seconds before he barged out, “I’m kind of hungry- I could go for a burger after all of this, if you guys know what I mean.”

Abby nodded, “I’ll pick up Lev and see if we can find Jesse and…” Abby’s nose crinkled, “And Nora.”

“I’ll bring Dina,” she nodded once more before ducking back into the bar. 

“Hey,” Owen began to walk forwards, but Abby backed away, “You don’t get to touch me, you’re just as bad as him.”

Owen nodded, “Okay. I deserve that.”

“Yeah, you do.” She studied him for a moment, contemplating her next move. 

“Let’s just go to the van. We’ll figure out the rest later.” Abby turned to walk, but then hesitated. “The cure- what is it? An antidote or something? I know my dad was experimenting in his lab…”

Owen rubbed his stubble and shook his head, “No. It’s not a _thing_.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Abby said, “How else would we able to stop the spread…?” 

“Ellie,” Owen grimaced, “Ellie’s the cure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Argh, if it weren't for those meddling kids!! Sorry, I couldn't help myself since our team is Mystery Inc😂😂😂 
> 
> So we now know they were kept out of the loops because they're being looked down on by the older gang members, Dina's dad has been prepping her to be the next Firefly, and Ellie... is the cure? 
> 
> Hope you guys had a good Friday! Let me know what you think❤️


	18. Run, Run, Rudolph

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A jump in time
> 
> Song: Run, Run Rudolph by Chuck Berry

**Three Months Later**

_Out of all the reindeers you know you're the mastermind_

_Run, run Rudolph, Randolph ain't too far behind_

Ellie bent down to lace her skates up as the Christmas music drifted in from the rink, which was already full. Ever since the night Owen and Abby had left the Vipers, things had gone back to normal, or as normal as things could be, anyway. The Vaccine was still spreading like wildfire, but Joel was letting Ellie and her remaining friends to sit in on the Viper meetings now that they knew about the demon hospitals.

Manny was back, better than ever, and so were Lev and his mom, now that they’d learned the person bothering them had been Owen looking for people he could turn against Joel. As for Abby… Ellie only saw her at their weekly meeting at Tommy’s, or if they bumped into each other after a shift.

_Run, run Rudolph, Santa's gotta make it to town  
Santa, make him hurry, tell him he can take the freeway down  
Run, run Rudolph 'cause I'm reelin' like a merry-go-round_

“Tonight we’ll be family,” Nora said, sitting next to Ellie on the bench, “Who would’ve thought the Scorps and Vipes would merge into one.”

“Not me,” Ellie finished tying her laces and sat up, looking at the girl beside her. “Doesn’t mean I like you.”

“Oh don’t misunderstand, I still hate your guts,” She shrugged “It’s just weird, you know? No More Vipers versus Scorpions. We’re all Rattlers now.”

“Two kingdoms becoming one to fight a common enemy,” Ellie nodded, repeating Joel’s words when he and Firefly had announced the news a week before. She knew it wouldn’t be that easy though; the two gangs had a long, bloody history, and while the two leaders, now co-leaders, had made the transition sound so easy, she knew it would be anything but.

“Ladies,” Tess clapped her hands together to get the team’s attention. “We’ve already gone over the game plan, so I’ll keep this short. No matter what happens out there, win or lose, I am _so_ proud of what this team has done this season. We win, we qualify for regionals, if we lose, we walk away knowing we gave it our all. None of this would be possible without your hard work and Dina’s excellent job keeping us organized and ready.”

Ellie whooped, and caught Dina’s eye as she gathered everyone’s extra sticks to take to the bench, and smiled. 

“What are we?!” Coach Tess asked, grabbing her attention again.

“Champions!” The team yelled together.

“And what do we do?!”

“Champion!” The girls shouted, throwing their hands in the center of the room, and raising them up with a yell.

“We’ve got this!” The team captain, Jamie, shouted with a grin.

_Said Santa to a boy child, "What have you been longin' for?"  
"All I want for Christmas is a rock 'n' roll 'lectric guitar"  
And then away went Rudolph, whizzin' like a shootin' star_

As the team filed out of the room, shouting and jumping up to slap the top of the doorway as they walked out, Ellie waited for Dina, who’d loaded the sticks onto a cart.

“Jesse’s here,” Dina said, “He said he saw Abby and Lev. And Joel. Ellie, if he sees them together…”

“He can’t do anything, this is Midtown, neutral territory,” she responded, wringing her hands.

“Then why do you look so nervous all of a sudden?”

Ellie avoided Dina’s eyes, but forced her hands still, “I’m not nervous about Joel.” And it was the truth; for Joel to engage in violence in Midtown would be a violation of the truce, even if Abby technically wasn’t a part of _any_ gang. What was making her restless, was the same ‘off’ feeling that had been eating at her for the past three months.

It wasn’t just Joel’s admission to hurting Jerry that had her on edge. It was the culmination of many small things that didn’t add up. Dina’s point especially made her think: why did Joel allow them to patrol and do jobs for him, no problem, but when it came to anything correlated to the vaccine or the Phantoms, he made them stay away? And the fact that Talia and Sarah’s stories didn’t line up at all. If Talia had been the one sent to tail the King, what had Sarah been doing? And who were the Phantoms looking for?

Nothing made sense, no matter what spin she tried to put on it. And now, out of nowhere Joel and Firefly had decided to team up, essentially using Ellie and Dina’s relationship as a bridge to tie the two gangs together, to give them an incentive to care about each other.

“Hey- what’s going on in that head of yours?” Dina asked, stepping closer to Ellie and touching her padded arm.

“Nothing,” Ellie tried to shrug her off and follow the rest of the team, but Dina stopped her.

“Wait- give me your hand.”

“You can’t hold my hand out on the ice, you know,” she smirked, but pulled her bulky glove off, and held her hand out. Ellie watched as Dina tugged the bracelet off her own wrist and tied it to Ellie’s.

“It’s for good luck.”

She looked up into Dina’s eyes, but told her the truth. “I don’t believe in luck. Not anymore.”

Dina didn’t seem fazed, only turned the Hamsa on Ellie’s wrist around so it was facing up, “I do.”

She smiled, and Ellie couldn’t help it, she smiled too. Over the past three months, so much had changed while everyone around her feigned normalcy. But Dina, she was the one person that kept her sane, even though she’d moved out of her parents’ place and had been inducted into the Scorps. She was still Dina, her rock, her person.

She pecked her lips, and Ellie slipped her glove back on.

_Run, run Rudolph, Santa has to make it in town  
Santa, make him hurry, tell him he can take the freeway down  
Run, run Rudolph, reelin' like a merry-go-round_

When Ellie skated into position on the ice, ready for the starting faceoff, even _she_ had to admit wearing Dina’s bracelet made her feel better, even if it was just for a few moments.

Before the whistle even sounded, she felt the opposing team’s defenseman staring bullets at her. Ellie decided to ignore it, and glanced up at the crowd. Just as Dina had reported, Jesse was in the stands near Joel, which was a bizarre sight, and in another row of seats sat Abby and Lev, who were eating popcorn by the fistful.

She snapped back to attention and watched as the ref dropped the puck and the game began. Leah won, gaining possession, and flicked it to Ellie, who was cutting across the ice, weaving in and out of the other players, spinning when she got too close and-

Ellie bit down hard on her mouth guard when she was rammed by a defenseman, the same one that had been staring at her. She was up before the ref even made it over there, having taken harder hits than that, but she knew that for some reason the player had it out for her.

“Penalty!” the ref shouted, giving Ellie a once over before pointing for the player to sit in the penalty box. Ellie saw her say something to another girl on the ice, but only caught what the teammate said in response.

“Gotcha, Leah.”

Ellie rolled her shoulders and got into position for the next faceoff. Now that “Leah” was in the penalty box, the Wolves had a two-minute advantage with the other team down a player.

She shot a quick thumbs up in Tess’ direction, knowing her coach would want to take her out if she was winded, and focused on the puck.

The Christmas song was still bouncing around her head as she skated across the ice once more. Nora had received the puck and was making her way towards the goal, and it was Ellie’s job to help clear the way and stay open in case Nora needed to pass.

_Run, run Rudolph, Santa's gotta make it to town  
Santa, make him hurry, tell him he can take the freeway down  
Run, run Rudolph, I'm reelin' like a merry-go-round_

Nora swung her stick back for a slapshot, and Ellie threw her hands up into the air when the goalie missed the puck.

“Yes!” She skidded to a stop in front of Nora, who was already surrounded by Wolves, and gave her helmet a slap.

“We’re in the lead and it’s only the first period!”

Nora grinned back at her, as they made their way to the bench so their subs could play. Tess grabbed Ellie’s arm and pulled her aside before she could sit down.

“What was that back there? You know that girl?”

“No.” Ellie said, glancing towards Leah, who was now staring at her from her team’s bench across the ice. “I don’t know what her deal is.”

Tess pursed her lips and glanced up at the bleachers towards Joel before saying anything. “Just… be careful, avoid her as much as you can.”

Ellie nodded and sat on the far end of the bench with her water as the game continued. Ellie quickly picked up that the team they were playing against was being abnormally aggressive, and that was saying something given they were playing _hockey_.

_Said Santa to a girl child, "What would please you most to get?"_  
"A little baby doll that can cry, sleep, drink and wet"  
And then away went Rudolph, whizzin' like a Saber jet

Ellie was anxious to get back out on the ice and protect their lead. While the team they were playing against seemed more interested in roughing the Wolves up over scoring, she wanted to ensure their slot in the regional championship. They’d all worked way too hard to get so close.

Dina winked at Ellie as she climbed over the boards as the players subbed once more, making her blush, but that feeling quickly vanished when she was face to face with Leah again. It made her blood boil, the way she was looking at her, as most things did lately. Ellie felt like a volcano, she was so close to exploding that at that point she was just waiting for it to happen.

The ref dropped the puck, and Leah lost the faceoff, sending the Wolves into a defensive play as they worked to get the puck back and protect their goal.

“Blue 61!” Jamie yelled, and Ellie moved to her position in that play, skating around the edges of the rink to be ready for the pass.

She watched Leah from the corner of her eye, not wanting to let her get too close, and caught the puck just as she was supposed at the interception. Turning sharply, she pushed herself to her top speed, defending the puck by constantly shifting its position with her stick. A win 2-0 would be more than enough.

“Miller!” Ellie glanced to her right, and swiftly passed the puck to Nora, feeling Leah closing in from behind.

She was expecting another shoulder clip, not a stick-trip, so Ellie was taken completely off guard when her skate caught and she slammed into the ice, landing on her arm with a sickening crack.

She let out a guttural groan, sounding like a wounded animal, as she lay still. Her arm was on fire, and she spit her mouthpiece on the ground as her head began to spin.

“ _You_ ,” Ellie got shakily to her feet, leaving her stick forgotten on the ground. She held her left arm, the one that hadn’t been wearing Dina’s bracelet, to her chest, and focused on breathing through her mouth so she wouldn’t throw up. From the corner of her eye, she could see the refs beginning to skate over, already blowing their whistles, and Tess climbing over the boards.

Leah smiled and shrugged, flipping her visor up, and for the first time Ellie spotted the raised scar on the girl’s cheek. It was a brand, just like the one on Sarah’s arm. Leah was a Phantom.

Adrenaline started to kick in, and the pain in Ellie’s arm began to subside, meaning she was going into shock from the break. It also meant she wasn’t thinking rationally, and in her mind, she finally had an excuse to let out the anger and frustration she’d been keeping bottled up.

“That’s it!” Ellie threw her gloves to the ice, not caring that she wouldn’t be allowed to play in the game anymore since she’d be taken out anyways, and advanced on the girl so fast she was able to clip her shoulder and send her to crashing to the ground.

Leah spit and shot back up, aiming a punch that Ellie dodged, but landing one on the arm she wasn’t using.

Ellie screamed and doubled over as one of the refs hooked on to Leah’s shoulder pad and kept her from advancing for a third time.

The last thing Ellie saw was black.

…

Joel stood with his arms crossed as he watched through the viewing window as Ellie’s arm was casted. Dina was in there with her, looking worried, but laughing at how loopy Ellie was from the meds. Things were so bad that Ellie had chosen for her cast to be hot pink, something Dina knew Ellie would regret once she felt normal again.

“This is a message,” Joel muttered under his breath, and glanced to his right where Sarah stood, “They know who she is now, and ain’t afraid to make it known.”

“We don’t know that for sure,” she frowned, “They could’ve been targeting any Viper.”

Joel closed his eyes, for the briefest of moments, tired of having to lie to Ellie. But it was the only way to protect her when the alternative was turning her over to the Phantoms.

“Let’s hope that’s all it was,” Joel said, turning away, “Let’s hope.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: when I first posted this I accidentally made the convo at the end between Firefly and Joel, not Joel and Sarah. Just a heads up in case there’s any confusion
> 
> So I really wanted to start writing something Christmasey, and a time jump fit with what I was trying to do, so here we are! Can you imagine Ellie in a hot pink cast? LOL 
> 
> Shoutout to Sugarhoneyedicedtea for being awesome! 
> 
> Hope everyone's having a great weekend!❤️


	19. I Love You Like The Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Rattlers are formed feat. Loopy Ellie

“ _Babe_ ,” Ellie said loudly as Dina held her by the arm to keep her steady.

“Shhhhh,” Dina laughed, kissing her shoulder, “It’s about to start.”

“I’m just saying- it makes no sense. Why do we call it chili when it’s hot?”

“Ellie, I’m serious, the meeting is about to start.”

She pouted but went back to mindlessly stirring the bowl of chili in front of her, courtesy of their quick trip to Tommy’s.

They were sitting in a booth off to the side and while Ellie was being adorable, she had begun to remind Dina of JJ as she had to keep telling her to quiet her down. The meds would be wearing off soon though, so she tried to be patient, and was happy when Jesse slid into the booth beside them as more and more Vipers and Scorpions arrived for the meeting.

“Soccer Mommmm,” Ellie grinned lazily, her eyes drooping.

“Jesus, she on drugs or something?” Jesse asked, glancing over at Dina.

“No, just a lightweight,” Dina smirked, and Jesse noticed the pink cast that went halfway up Ellie’s arm.

“What the hell happened?”

Dina gave a nervous glance around to make sure no one was listening in, and leaned towards Jesse. “There was a Phantom on the other team…I thought things were supposed to get better with them, but they’re only getting worse.”

“Firefly _did_ say they’ll get worse before they get better… but it’s pretty hard to help the demons and keep the vaccine from spreading at the same time. Especially with their new stance on things,” Jesse rubbed his eyes tiredly.

Dina shook her head, and lowered her voice even more, “Exactly. No cure? I don’t buy it, especially when Joel nearly killed Abby’s dad when he was researching it.”

“Why are we whispering?” Ellie interrupted loudly.

“So we don’t wake the zombies,” Jesse deadpanned.

“Zombies?”

“Well, yeah,” Jesse nodded, “they use echolocation- I’ll demonstrate.”

He closed his eyes, and made a series of clicks, twisting around in his seat as if he were sensing something.

“Dina,” Ellie grabbed onto her arm tightly, still trying to whisper but failing miserably, “We need to get out of here.”

“Stop it, Jesse,” Dina rolled her eyes, “No clickers here, we’re all good,” she said, trying to steer their conversation back.

“So what do we do?”

Jesse took a sip of the drink he’d brought over with him, “Nothing- it’s not our problem.”

Dina frowned, “That’s not what we said three months ago when all of this started.”

“D,” he crossed his arms, “There’s a difference between figuring out what’s going on, and interfering for no reason. Last time it was about you, but now? None of us are impacted at all. We caught the-”

“Ellie,” Dina corrected.

“ _Ellie_ caught the dealer in the Vipes. That’s it, case closed.”

“Owen wasn’t the only dealer in Jackson, don’t you think we have a responsibility to-”

“No,” Jesse said, “If it means us getting killed, no.”

Dina rolled her eyes, finding Ellie’s nickname for him to be all too accurate. He _was_ a soccer mom, and she was about to tell him when Joel’s voice boomed through the bar. 

“Everyone listen up- as you know, tonight marks the end of many things. The twenty-year feud with the Scorpions, the borders between the East and Southside, and the end of the two gangs.”

“And the beginning,” Firefly picked up where Joel left off, “of a new family. Tonight, we unite as one: the Rattlers.”

Ellie snorted and Dina glanced away.

“What?”

“It’s just,” she laughed again, “Joel doesn’t play well with others, you should’ve seen it Dina, when he and Tommy tried to lead together.”

“Ellie-” Dina started to shush her since she was growing louder with every word, but then hesitated, “Wait, what happened with Tommy?”

Joel and Firefly were still talking, but this seemed more important somehow.

“They fought over me,” Ellie said, a dreamy look in her eyes. She didn’t know how much truth she could take from her words given her state, but Ellie wasn’t a liar, and when she opened up, she told everything.

Ellie’s words caught Jesse’s attention too.

“Why were they fighting over you?”

“Because I…” she trailed off and Dina nodded her head in encouragement, “Because I… am the BRICKMASTER.” Ellie shouted the last word, and Dina blushed when everyone’s heads swiveled to face them.

“Don’t mind Ellie,” Joel cleared his throat, regaining everyone’s attention, “Nurse gave her a few too many Advil.”

The room of gang members laughed, and the meeting continued.

“What is a ‘brickmaster’?” Jesse asked.

“Me, stupid,” Ellie grinned.

“Okay,” Dina sighed, but exchanged an amused look with Jesse. “I’m just worried. Things are going to get out of hand soon if they don’t do something.”

“I know,” Jesse said, “But they’re the leaders, not us. Not yet, anyways,” he said with an annoying smirk.

Dina shook her head, and did her best to listen to the rest of the speech. When Tommy had warned her about hanging around with gang members before he’d known who she was, he’d said that it often made good people do terrible things. Had he and Joel’s fight been the “terrible thing” that had made him leave the Vipers? Had Joel given him his limp, and most pressing of all, what did Ellie have to do with it?

As the meeting drew to a close, they each lined up on two sides of the room, one with former Vipers, and one with former Scorpions. One by one they each shook everyone’s hands took their jackets off, and threw them into a pile on the ground. The leading families stood in the front of everything; Joel and Firefly in the center, Talia and Sarah on the outside, and Ellie and Dina between both of them. Once all of the old jackets were discarded, Jesse and Nora helped hand out the new ones, which featured a large patch of an open-mouthed rattle snake on the back.

“Hey Dad,” Ellie laughed when she pulled hers on, “Does this make you the Rat King?”

“I guess it does, kiddo,” his eyes twinkled every time he looked at Ellie, but Dina didn’t buy into it. She had no loyalty to him, even if she technically had to listen to him too now. She knew what he was capable of and was afraid to learn what else he was willing to do to people who didn’t agree with him.

“We have one more announcement,” Joel said, turning to the crowd of Rattlers. “For the longest time, we’ve had unofficial seconds in command,” Joel said, “But considering everything that happened with Owen, we think it’s safer to have two, that way one can check up on the other.”

“My seconds,” Firefly said, “Are Jesse… and Dina.”

Dina’s heart leapt, but not in a good way; she’d known this was coming, her father had practically told her the gang would be hers one day. But for him to pick her instead of Talia, someone who’d been in this way longer than she had, felt wrong. And maybe, she didn’t want this, to be stuck here, even though she’d been so angry about them not telling her. Maybe-

“Mine are Sarah… and Ellie.”

Dina met Ellie’s confused look, before watching Joel. She was much more herself than she’d been at the beginning of the meeting, but Dina could tell she was still foggy.

“Me?”

“I _do_ trust you,” he said quietly before speaking to everyone again, “So if you ever can’t reach either of us, find one of them. Now get out of my house,” Joel finished, and Firefly chuckled.

No, she didn’t like this at all, Joel naming Ellie one of his seconds. It was a direct contradiction to what he’d insinuated three months ago when they were sitting in the very same bar: “You’re children.” Well Joel, you don’t put “children” second in command.

Ellie though, she was ecstatic, grinning ear to ear as she went around shaking people’s hands.

“Finally,” she said when the bar was empty, “He finally trusts me.”

Dina watched her for a moment, not wanting to end her moment of bliss, but Ellie processed her silence as wanting to leave.

“Don’t go,” she said, reaching her hand out.

“I have to watch JJ tomorrow, remember?” Dina wasn’t too worried about that, she didn’t have to pick him up from Robin’s until noon, but she couldn’t tell her what she’d really been thinking about.

Ellie laughed her airy, medication induced giggle, “Potato.”

“Yes, potato.”

It was only seven, but Ellie was already drifting off as Dina doodled on her cast. It had gone from her name, to a potato, to the stars, and if she wasn’t careful the entire cast would be full of ink.

“I love you,” Ellie whispered, moving so her head was resting on Dina’s chest.

“Yeah?”

“So much, like…. like…. the sun, I love you like the sun.”

Dina laughed, but she was sure Ellie could hear her heartbeat quicken, “Is that your way of telling me you think I’m hot?”

“No,” Ellie sat up, and for the first time all night her eyes were clear. “No, it means…you know how plants need sunlight? Well,” she glanced away shyly, “That’s how I need _you_.”

And Dina knew the same was true for her, it always had been. For her, loving Ellie wasn’t some random thing, it was what she needed, what she depended on, what made her grow. When you’re lost in the dark, look for the light. That was Joel’s motto.

Ellie was her light.

“I love you too. So much.”

“Out of ten,” Ellie mumbled, settling back into Dina.

“What?”

“Out of ten, how much do you love me?”

She knew what Ellie wanted her to say: six. It was their thing, an inside joke only they got, but this wasn’t a joking matter. Not at all.

“There isn’t a number.”

There was silence for so long Dina thought Ellie might have fallen asleep, but eventually she answered.

“Good.”

…

As carefully as she could, Dina shifted from under Ellie, but her soft snoring continued. She laid there a few moments; it was rare to see Ellie’s face completely relaxed. She looked so sweet, so innocent, so undeserving of the cards she’d been dealt.

Dina sighed and tucked a strand of auburn hair behind her ear before getting up and quietly easing the door closed. She still had to clean up her messy apartment and sleep before she had to pick up JJ.

As she made her way downstairs, she paused when she heard voices coming from downstairs.

“The way I see it, we have two options: hand her over, or kill her.”

“Talia, what is wrong with you?” Dina froze- that was definitely Sarah’s voice.

“We’ve discussed this,” another voice chimed in: her dad’s. “Giving them ‘the cure’ isn’t going to stop the Phantoms from spreading the Vaccine. It’ll just egg them on since they’ll have what they wanted.”

“There ain’t no ‘cure’ for them, it won’t work, and we know it.”

“Why are they even looking for her?” Talia snapped, “What makes my sister’s idiot girlfriend so important?”

Dina had to physically plant her feet in place to keep herself from lunging from her hiding spot.

Joel sighed, “This stays in here, you understand?” Dina could almost sense Joel glancing towards the floor above them as he lowered his voice.

“She’s one of em and they want her back.”

“What?” Talia asked.

“You really going to make me spell it out, girl? Ellie’s parent’s, they were Phantoms, and the gang… they want her back. That’s why they’re callin her the cure…”

Dina’s heart dropped; this couldn’t be, he had to be lying, he had to be. But it made sense, why Joel tried to keep Ellie from the front lines, away from The Phantoms and the Vaccine. And from what happened at the hockey game, they either already knew who she was, or were trying to send Joel a message. 

“The King says if I give her up, they’ll stop spreading the Vaccine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now Ellie and Dina are reversed- Dina knows a secret about Ellie and she has to make the decision to tell her or not. What do you guys think she will do? She definitely has different things at stake now, that's for sure. 
> 
> I hope everyone has had a good week so far! :):)


	20. The Chemical Burn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Ellie's asleep, secrets are uncovered

“Dios mio, Abby, I didn’t sign up for this,” Manny said, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“You owe me,” Owen cut in, “I got you into the demon hospital.”

“After _you_ drugged me,” Manny turned on him, “Give me a reason I shouldn’t kill you on the spot, traitor.”

“Because,” Abby held her hands up between them, “he’s helping me get back at Joel.”

“Ay, you’re kidding me, right?” Manny looked at her with wide eyes, “Please tell me you’re kidding, that you didn’t talk to me for the first time in three months to rope me into this.”

“I’m sorry, I wanted to, but-”

“But you left, I know. Without even telling me, and now you expect me to turn on Joel, when he’s done so much for my family? You’re crazy,” He looked at Owen, “Both of you are.”

“And what about my dad? He helped pay for your first bike, he used to let you stay over when your parents were fighting…” Abby’s eyes hardened, “And now he’s in an assisted living home because Joel paralyzed him from the waist down.”

“So what, you’re going to do the same thing to him? To Ellie? Do you even hear yourself, Abs?”

Abby faltered at that, but quickly gained her composure, “When Ellie finds out what he did, she won’t care what happens to him.”

“What is _that_ supposed to mean? Look, I don’t know what you’ve heard, but Ellie was named Joel’s second. They seem like they’re doing just fine to me.”

“Let’s just say, Joel finding her wasn’t an accident,” Owen said, and went on to explain everything he’s learned during his time with The Phantoms. Who Ellie really was, what Joel had done, what he was doing now, keeping the war going instead of ending it by handing over the cure.

“Wait-” Abby turned to face him, “I never agreed to giving Ellie up- I just want to get back at Joel.”

“She’s one person,” Owen said, looking at both of them, “ _One_. Are you really going to put her life over the hundreds of people that need help?”

“She’s a Vip-Rattler, so yes.”

“You sound just like Joel- don’t you get it? They won’t hurt her, she’s one of them.”

“That’s not what happened at the hockey game yesterday,” Abby crossed her arms.

“That was random- they had to have seen the Viper jacket or something and wanted to send a message to The Old Man. They don’t know what she looks like, otherwise they wouldn’t have touched her.”

“This is so messed up,” Manny rubbed his forehead, “If you think for a second that I’m going to take a…take a golf club to Ellie’s head and drop her off at the Phantom’s doorstep…”

“Not funny,” Abby snapped. So many things were going through her head. What was she doing? Ellie was her friend, for Christ’s sake…her _friend_. 

“What if someone else did it?” Owen asked, sensing her shift in thoughts, “It doesn’t have to be us.”

“You’re going to hell, pendejo,” Manny spat.

“Owen, let’s just focus on-”

“Do you want to hurt Joel, or not? Ellie is the only thing he cares about, and we’d be doing her a favor, telling her the truth.”

“I know that,” Abby cut in, “But she didn’t ask for any of this.”

“Exactly,” Manny sighed, feeling as though she was finally seeing reason.

“What if we used this?” Owen pulled a knife out of his pocket and handed it to her. After turning it in her hands, she saw E.M. carved into the wooden handle. 

“I thought you gave this back,” she looked up. 

“I was going to, until I realized…” he pulled something out of his pocket: a newer, less worn version of the same knife.

“This is a Phantom blade- they- we, all have one.”

“So?”

“So you give it back, and I’ll put out an alert. If they see a Rattler carrying this thing around, they’ll know it’s her.” Owen turned to Manny, “Are you in, or not?”

Manny looked in between the two uncertainly. Ellie was his friend, but so was Abby, and as long as no one got hurt…

“Okay,” he nodded, “I’m in.”

…

Dina stepped out from the cover of the stairs and into the light, and everyone’s heads whipped around to face her.

“Dina-”

“Save it,” she snapped at Talia, “What the _fuck_ is wrong with all of you?”

“Now, Dina-” Joel started.

“And what was that back there, making us your seconds? I knew something was off about that, Ellie’s reckless, Jesse’s a hot mess, and I _just_ joined.”

“We named you seconds,” Firefly boomed, “Because we’ve doubled the kingdom, and need someone to run jobs for us. Don’t worry, the older members are still the ones doing the heavy lifting.”

“Right,” she scoffed, “Because _that’s_ what I’m worried about, doing more work.”

“No,” Sarah said, glancing towards the floor above them, “You don’t understand anything, so just stay out of it.”

“If you don’t tell her, I will,” Dina said, arms crossed. 

“You won’t,” Joel spoke, but Dina didn’t even look his way, having lost what little respect she’d had for every person in the room.

“What are you going to do? Kill me?” she laughed bitterly, “Send me to the hospital so I don’t talk, just like Jerry? He found out about her, didn’t he? He wanted to do the right thing.”

“His ‘right thing’ was handing her over to the Phantoms. You know what that would mean, girl?”

“It would save everyone,” Talia cut in, “No more demons, no more war.” 

“I am _this_ close,” Sarah said with narrowed eyes, “to putting a bullet in your leg.”

“I’d like to see you try, Miller.”

Sarah clicked the safety off of her gun, but Joel gave her a look, and she returned her gun to its holster with an eyeroll.

“You have no idea what those people are capable of. They’d use her as leverage, make things worse.”

“Because you _kidnapped_ her.”

“I _saved_ her,” Joel said loudly, wincing when his voice rattled through the air. They were quiet for a moment, waiting for any sign of life upstairs, but continued when they heard nothing.

“Dina, you tell her, and she’s gone,” Sarah said. 

She shook her head, “That’s not true.”

“No offence, but I think I know my sister better than you. She’s a runner. Always has been, always will be.”

“Maybe,” Dina said, “That’s because she’s so used to people letting her down.”

“Letting her…” Sarah growled, “You want to know what happened so badly, fine. I went in as Ellie, tried to take her place. It worked for a while until Owen’s ass showed up and pointed me out. And you know what I escaped home to? A sister that hates me, and new blood like you accusing me. So yeah, I let her down,” Sarah shook her head, “And now the only reason I’m able to show my face on the streets is because I…,” she looked away, “I have to deal for them. Talia didn’t even get that option.”

“Why would you do that?” Dina whispered; she had so many questions. She knew why Talia had done it, because she did anything their dad said, but Sarah… she’d always seemed reluctant to even acknowledge Ellie when they were in the same room.

Sarah blinked, “Because she’s my little sister. I’d do anything for that dumbass, brand and everything.”

“Brand?...” Dina looked between Joel and Sarah, who lifted her sleeve to reveal her right arm, where a pink skull stared back at her in the same spot as Ellie’s tattoo.

“The chemical burn from when she was a kid- oh my god, did you do that to cover…”

“Had to,” Joel looked away, “Was one of the hardest things I’ve done in my life. But all of this has been to keep her safe. Believe it or not, things are better this way. If Ellie finds out, she’ll go, that’s just who she is. She don’t care about herself- that’s changin with you around, but…” Joel rubbed his beard, “She joins those people, you’ll never see the Ellie you know again.”

…

Ellie rolled over with a groan, squinting from the sunlight streaming in through her window. She looked to her side, but Dina had already left.

She winced when she moved to rub her eye and a pain went down the length of her arm. It hurt nothing like the initial break yesterday, but it wasn’t particularly pleasant either. She quickly forgot the discomfort when she saw the doodles Dina had made across her cast.

A little family of dinosaurs wrapped around the top near her elbow, stars and planets underneath, but it didn’t stop there. There were hearts and I love you’s, and a sun with sunglasses on it, and in her palm, Dina had signed her name in cursive.

God, Ellie loved her.

She sat up and stretched, spotting the new jacket thrown across the back of her chair. Her room was usually a mess, but it was more so than usual, with her textbooks piled in one corner since the semester had ended a week ago, an overflowing laundry bin to her right, a giant stack of comics on her dresser, and a pile of shoes in the middle of the floor.

Beside her alarm clock was a glass of water and a bottle of Advil with a sticky note on the top. In Dina’s loopy cursive, she’d written:

Take two, El. TWO. ♥

Ellie smiled and did as the note specified, chugging the entire glass of water before pulling on a fresh pair of jeans, hoodie, and her new jacket. It was a pain getting all of her layers over the cast, and she wound up having to pull her left sleeve over and up to her elbow.

Ellie glanced at Riley’s ring around her finger; over the past few months, Dina had shown her what love really was. It wasn’t wondering when someone would leave again, or waiting for them to betray you, and she realized that maybe love wasn’t supposed to feel that way: like it had a timer strapped to the side.

It was trusting, knowing the other person wouldn’t leave, and that maybe they didn’t want to in the first place. She’d never trusted someone so fully in her entire life, and it scared her, because now it wasn’t just Joel she could lose. Everyone else had left her already… Riley, Sarah, Abby, her own parents… she could take it again from anyone else, she was used to it. But Dina and Joel? If she lost them… she shook her head, not liking where her thoughts were going. 

Dina had been inducted into the Scorpions a week after they’d been arrested. Like for Ellie, the process was a fast one since her dad was leader. The only thing she’d had to do was pull a forty-eight-hour watch and take an oath. It made sense to Ellie that Firefly would choose Dina; she was strong and capable and the smartest person she knew. Talia was still supposed to be dead since the Phantoms were after her, so she couldn’t exactly be out in the open, and Jesse… well he’d been Firefly’s right-hand man before they’d even met, and with his debt to his boss, he had no choice but to be loyal.

But Ellie was afraid… what if she screwed this up before she even got started? Being second was a big responsibility, she’d seen how busy Owen had always been. But she wasn’t in this alone, she had Dina, and Jesse and Sarah… They’d been working on growing their trust again, but it was hard to do that when she was also building her wall up in case she ever left again. _When_ she left again. 

Ellie glanced at the clock, which read ten AM. She’d been asleep for more than twelve hours. The group had plans to meet at Tommy’s in the afternoon, but maybe she could surprise Dina before then.

Liking that idea, Ellie shuffled to her closet and grabbed a shoebox that sat on the top shelf. She sighed and sat on her bed to open it.

There wasn’t much inside; an empty journal Maria had given her to “work through her anger issues”, an old purple keychain Riley had given her for her backpack, a scrap of paper, and a small stuffed elephant.

Ellie flipped through the journal to the one entry in it, one Joel had done to try and coax her into using it.

Kiddo,

I’m not good at this stuff, but I heard Riley left town again. That don’t mean you can go around bashing people’s windshields in with your hockey stick. Maria can’t fool me, I know it was you.

Just… I’m here.

Love,

~~Joel~~ Dad

She ran her finger over his handwriting before tossing the journal to the side and picking up the next item.

“Hey, Ollie,” Ellie said, turning over the small toy in her hands. It was the only thing she had left of her childhood, the only thing she remembered from the night Joel had found her other than the yelling, and the fire. Ellie scratched at the tattoo covering her burn; Ollie had protected her, or that’s what her three-year old self had thought anyway.

Ellie hesitated closing the box, and stared at the worn scrap of paper at the bottom. She’d read it so many times that she didn’t need to open it to know what it said.

She did anyways.

Ellie, 

I'm going to share a secret with you, I'm not a big fan of kids and I hate babies. And yet... I'm staring at you and I'm just awestruck.

You're not even four years old and holding you is the most incredible thing I've done in my life - a life that is about to get cut a little short. 

Joel will look after you. There's no one in this world I trust more than him. When the time comes he'll tell you all about me. Don't give him too much of a hard time. Try not to be as stubborn as me.

I'm not going to lie, this is a pretty messed up world. It won't be easy. The thing you always have to remember is that-

Ellie flipped the page

life is worth living! Find your purpose and fight for it.

I see so much strength in you. I know you'll turn out to be the woman you're meant to be.

Forever... your loving mother

Anna

Make me proud, Ellie!

“I’m trying to,” she whispered to herself, closing the slip of paper again. Joel had saved her from the fire when he’d been out patrolling, but her parents who’d been in the middle of a gunfight outside of the house, hadn’t made it. Joel had told her they’d been planning to give her to him anyway, which was why she had the note in the first place. Her eyes wandered to the notebook that lied open beside her, and she froze.

Why did the slant look so similar? The curve of the y’s, the way the e’s connected to the letters that came after… What was this?

Ellie stood up abruptly and grabbed her backpack from the corner, tossing in the journal, note, and Ollie. She felt like there was a snake coiled up in her stomach, ready to strike.

But then Dina’s face flashed in front her eyes.

“Just take a deep breath, babe, we’ll figure this out.”

That’s what she always said when Ellie felt her anger getting the best of her, which was more often than not lately. She’d talk to Joel about it, there had to be a logical explanation. She nodded to herself; that was another way Dina was good for her. Riley had always pushed her anger, while Dina helped her tame it.

Ellie steadied herself and pulled the door to her room open to find her apartment looking like the Christmas section of a department store.

“What the-”

“Hold the ladder for me, will you?”

Ellie turned to spot her sister leaned dangerously on the top of rungs of a ladder as she attempted to put a star on the top of a giant Christmas tree.

“What are you doing?” She asked, walking over.

“Decorating.”

“I see that,” Ellie smirked, “But why?”

“Because between you and dad It looks like a frat house-wood shop combo in here.”

“It does no-” Ellie looked around at the coffee table littered with beer cans and attempted wood carving on nearly every surface. “Fair enough, but don’t you think this is a little overboard?”

There were lights and tinsel everywhere, and it smelled like she’d dumped a container of cinnamon into the carpet.

“A lot has happened,” Sarah said looking away, and Ellie realized with a start that she was nervous, “But Christmas… well it’s when we got you. And I thought maybe we could do a little more this year. After, you know, everything.”

“I don’t know,” Ellie rubbed the back of her neck nervously, “It’s no big deal, I’m twenty, we don’t need to do this anymore.”

“What, celebrate the day Joel found you?

“No, it’s just… Where is he by the way?”

“No idea,” Sarah said, “But he wants you to drop that off at Lev’s,” she pointed to a brown bag on the counter.

“How’s his mom doing, in the demon hospital?” 

“She’s okay- it takes time, you know. She’s been using for a really long time now.”

Ellie nodded, “Yeah.”

“Listen- are you _sure_ you don’t want something else for Christmas gift?”

“Well we were going to combine that and my found day gift, right?”

“If that’s what you still want…”

“I do. Dina needs a bike, I want to give her one.”

Sarah had an unreadable expression on her face, but Ellie only shrugged, grabbed an apple no doubt left by Dina, from the counter, and headed out to drop off Lev’s groceries. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, that was the longest chapter yet!! Well, now we know there's definitely some inconsistencies on how Ellie came to be with Joel. He told her one thing (that her parents WANTED him to take her, he just saved her early), did another (to be revealed soon), and now Owen, Manny, and Abby know exactly what happened... YIKES
> 
> The letter from Anna is an actual letter from Ellie's mom that can be found in Ellie's backpack when you play as her in the first game. I just changed the name from Marlene to Joel to fit with the story. 
> 
> The next chapters may be a little longer than usual too since I want to get the one set on Christmas Day (Ellie's adoption or "found" day) out by Christmas or the 24th. 
> 
> I hope everyone's doing well, and let me know what you think! ❤️❤️


	21. That’s What Friends Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A knife is returned

Ellie scuffed her shoe against the cement as she waited for Lev to open his front door. She still had her helmet on but the visor was flipped up so she’d be able to talk to him; it had been about a week since they’d seen eachother since the semester had ended, and Ellie had missed him.

“Hey, Levy,” she smiled when his door swung open as he rubbed his eyes.

“Hey El,” He yawned, and moved to the side so she could walk in. She threw a quick glance around, but the house actually looked better than it did when his mom was living with him.

“You need a ride to Tommy’s later?” Ellie asked over her shoulder, beginning to unpack the back of groceries and put them in the fridge.

“No,” he said, and Ellie heard the scrape of a chair behind her. With a quick glance she saw that he was typing on his phone, tongue poking out the corner of his mouth in concentration.

“Abby picking you up? She’s gotta be careful, if Joel sees her…”

“No, one of my friends,” he said, setting his phone face-down on the table and watching as Ellie finished up in the kitchen.

Ellie raised an eyebrow, “One of your ‘party’ friends?”

Lev rolled his eyes, “Ugh, not you too.”

“I’m just messing with you, kid,” she ruffled his hair, and walked backwards towards the door, “Just be careful,” she said, pointing to him.

“You’re one to talk,” he smirked and Ellie froze, feigning shock.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’ve got a pink cast on your arm, and…” he picked up his phone, typed something in, and showed it to her, “You went viral.”

“Who posted that?” Ellie asked, snatching the phone to watch herself collapse on the ice. He shrugged, but Ellie didn’t buy it.

“Who?”

“Abby- don’t be mad, we just thought it would be funny.”

“ _We_?”

He laughed nervously, “Sorry…” Ellie’s eyes flicked back to the screen. Over the video it showed the usernames of the people who’d liked the video.

“Wait, is this Dina?” Ellie pointed to the username dinasaurus_rex, and Lev snorted.

“Maybe,” he said guiltily, “it’s not my fault you’re not on social media. Here-” he grabbed his phone from her hand and clicked on Dina’s name, which pulled up her profile.

“ _That’s_ why she always wants to take pictures?” Every single photo Lev scrolled through was of her and Dina eating at Tommy’s, in her apartment, her sleeping… Ellie’s eyes widened, and she clicked on the picture Dina must’ve taken.

“God this is embarrassing,” she said, crinkling her nose at herself.

“For both of us,” Lev shook his head as if even being associating with Ellie would damage his street-cred.

She was sprawled out on Dina’s couch, nearly falling off, her head tilted back, mouth wide open. Ellie’s eyes wandered down to the description, and Dina had written “cutie” with a heart.

“Sap,” she muttered under her breath, but she smiled. Lev’s phone buzzed, and just as quickly as he’d handed it to her, he’d snatched it away.

“Chill,” Ellie chuckled, standing up to get ready to go.

“I’m not cold,” Lev said frowning at whatever was on the screen.

“Hey, I’m gonna go rob a bank, wanna come?”

“Yeah, sure,” Lev nodded, very obviously not processing a word she was saying as he typed away, pointedly keeping the screen tilted away from her.

“Everything okay? Who are you texting?”

That got his attention, as his head immediately snapped up, “No one. Thanks for dropping the food off,” he stood up, and started walking towards the door behind Ellie, “I’ll see you later, bye.” With a final little push to a confused Ellie’s back, he closed the door and watched from the window until she mounted her bike and took off.

Lev let out a relieved huff and clicked on the number that had been texting him.

“Hey,” he said into the phone, leaning against the table.

“Where are you? You were supposed to meet me an hour ago.”

“I’m sorry,” Lev said quickly, rubbing the back of his neck, a nervous habit he’d picked up from Ellie. “I just… I don’t know if I can do this.”

“I’m your _sister_ ,” the voice said, raising, “Are you telling me you have more loyalty to them, than to me?”

“Yara…” Lev’s voice broke, and he looked down. How was he supposed to betray the people that had raised him? But how could he not, now that he knew his sister was alive, and that the Phantom King hadn’t killed her, but made her one of their own.

“You don’t have a choice. I’ve repaid our mother’s debt. Now it’s your turn to chip in.”

The phone hung up, and Lev shoved the chair beside him, sending it clattering to the ground.

…

Even though she was far away, Ellie spotted Dina when she was rounding the corner towards her apartment. She’d be able to find her girlfriend even in a sea of people so it was easy to identify her as she played with JJ in the park across the street from her place. She was wearing her new Rattlers jacket and the beanie she always wore in the cold, with a giant white fuzzball on top.

As Ellie made her way down the very busy street, she felt eyes turning towards her. Dina had chosen to stay in the Northside even though she’d moved out of her parent’s and motorcycles were associated with the gangs, so naturally she drew cautious looks and stares.

Dina turned as the sound of Shimmer grew closer to her, and held her hand up in surprise; Ellie hadn’t told her she was planning to come. For someone who didn’t like surprises, she liked surprising Dina a lot.

After she parked, Ellie pulled her helmet off, shook her hair out, and stepped off her bike, backpack straps pulled tight around her shoulders.

She jogged across the street, narrowly dodging a car, and opened the park gate, where Dina was waiting with her arms crossed and a sideways smirk on her face.

“Hey, brickmaster.”

“Dinasaur.”

Dina’s confident expression faltered, and Ellie laughed, “Lev.”

“That goober,” she shook her head, but Ellie could tell something was off.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, wrapping her arms around Dina, and resting her chin on her shoulder. Ellie felt her lean into her as they both turned to watch JJ jump off the slide and run back to the stairs to do it again.

“Nothing. Just worried about you.”

“Oh,” Ellie pulled away, “I’m fine- I’ve had way worse.”

Dina flinched at that, and Ellie’s frown deepened.

“Seriously, what is it?”

Dina grabbed her right arm and pulled it up to examine, tracing her tattoo, adjusting the Hamsa bracelet still tied to her wrist, and then grabbed her other arm, turning over the cast in her hand before pressing a kiss on it.

“Does it hurt?”

Ellie touched Dina’s cheek to get her to meet her eyes, but she was pointedly focusing on JJ, who was wandering towards the sand box.

“Nothing hurts when I’m with you.”

And it was true; with Dina Ellie felt whole, more whole than she’d felt in a really long time... maybe ever. She made everything okay, and Ellie could only hope she did the same for her.

Dina’s eyes locked on hers, and she finally leaned into her touch.

“That was disgustingly sweet. Like, I think I might throw up.”

Ellie shrugged, “I’ll hold your hair back for you.”

Dina kissed her cheek and they started walking towards JJ. “I brought something for him, if that’s okay…” With some difficulty, Ellie pulled her backpack off and riffled through its contents until she found the stuffed elephant.

If Dina had been feeling guilty before, she felt like someone had stuck a knife in her chest as she watched Ellie kneel down to JJ’s height and hand him the toy.

“This is Ollie,” she said, making the little arm wave, “Hi JJ,” Ellie’s voice squeaked.

JJ giggled and accepted the toy with a grin before going back to playing. Instead of going towards the bench, Ellie sat on the edge of the sand box to watch as he played. Dina sat beside her as Ellie sighed, and pulled out a journal and slip of paper and placed them in her hands.

“What’s this?”

“Look at the handwriting,” Ellie said, pointing to the very old sheet of paper, and then the journal, “Doesn’t…” Her eyes flicked away nervously, “Doesn’t it look similar?”

Dina didn’t know what to say, so instead, very hesitantly, she asked a question.

“How did you end up with Joel?”

Ellie looked down, “This note, it’s from my mom,” she said, “My parents, they wanted him to take me in. Then they got into some sort of trouble and Joel found me in my house, and…” her eyebrows crinkled, “Tommy was there too.”

Dina’s stomach lurched; the fight. That _had_ to be why he and Joel had fought when they were co-leading. Maybe Tommy had wanted to leave Ellie with the Phantoms? Or had he disagreed with how Joel had handled things? Either way, Joel had obviously won, because Tommy left, and Ellie stayed.

There was still a piece to the puzzle missing though… why did the Phantoms want Ellie back so badly? Had her parents been important? And why had Joel lied in the first place? The Phantoms had only started looking for Ellie earlier that year, so why now, and why had Joel lied when Ellie was a little kid? It didn’t make any sense, he could’ve easily told her and avoided all of this.

“So?”

Dina snapped out of her thoughts.

“I don’t know, a lot of people’s handwriting is pretty similar.”

She was selfish, so selfish. But if Sarah was right, and Ellie gave herself up, Dina would lose the one person she trusted unconditionally. She’d have no one; in the end, Jesse would have no choice but to choose her father over her, her parents were… her parents, and JJ was a literal toddler. Ellie was all she had.

“Maybe you’re right,” Ellie snapped the journal closed, but for once Dina couldn’t read the expression on her face.

“We’ve had enough ‘excitement’ lately, don’t you think?” She touched Ellie’s arm, “Let’s not worry about things we don’t need to right now.”

She sounded so much like Jesse it disgusted her, but what else could she say?

…

Abby flicked the knife open and closed underneath the booth as she waited for the others to show up.

“Would you stop that? You’re making me nervous,” Manny hissed, from beside her.

“Sorry,” Abby slipped the switch blade back into her pocket and grit her teeth, looking at the crowded diner around them. “I’m just…”

“You don’t have to do this,” he said, “You know that, right?”

Abby shook her head, “This isn’t just about me anymore. Ellie deserves to know the truth about Joel and her parents. He needs to pay for everything he’s done.”

“Okay,” Manny nodded, “I’m with you por siempre.”

“For forever,” Abby parroted back in English.

The bell over the entrance jingled, and Ellie and Dina walked in, hand in hand. Abby watched as Ellie said something to Dina, and they split up, Ellie heading towards the back, and Dina to the waiting booth.

“Hey,” Dina said, sitting down across from them.

“She doing okay?” Abby asked, taking a sip of the water in front of her.

Dina chose her next words very carefully, “Somethings up with Joel.”

Abby stiffened, “Like what?”

Neither knew how much the other was aware of, and they were hesitant.

“Just… the way Joel and Ellie wound up together… it’s a little strange, isn’t it?”

Manny and Abby exchanged a quick look that didn’t go unnoticed by Dina.

“Do you know something?”

“Do you?” Dina countered just as quickly.

Abby shifted in her seat but said nothing, which was answer enough.

“Do you know what the cure is?” Dina asked cautiously.

“Yes…” Abby narrowed her eyes.

“So we’re in agreement then.”

“She has to find out,” Abby said at the same time as Dina said, “She can’t find out.”

“Wow,” Abby laughed bitterly, looking over at Manny, “That’s a little hypocritical, don’t you think?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Dina crossed her arms, face heating up.

“The night Ellie found out who you are she wouldn’t shut up about telling you,” Manny said, “And you want to keep this from her?”

Dina was about to defend herself when Lev walked up to their table, his entrance into the building having gone unnoticed because of their bickering. He looked about as happy as Dina felt, and silently slid into the booth. She clamped her mouth shut and sighed, regretting bringing the topic up to Abby at all.

In the back office of the diner, Tommy was running his finger along a map of Jackson.

“I saw Maria here the other day,” Ellie said, breaking the silence, “Does that mean…?”

“We were just goin’ over the extra security we need in Midtown, especially here with the number of gangs that come through.”

“Nothing else?” Ellie asked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Tommy sighed and looked up, “The past always has a way of catching up with you, and I lost Maria because of it…” he rubbed his forehead, “Remember that. You might not like what you find if you go digging up what’s already been buried.”

He circled an address on the map with a sharpie and pushed it across the table to her, “This is where we found you that night. You sure you don’t want to just ask Joel about this first?”

“I am, I just…” Ellie didn’t want to admit aloud that this had been eating away at her all day, with the matching handwriting, and the fact that Joel had lied to her before.

“I get it,” Tommy nodded, “Just be careful, this is Phantom territory now- take that girl of yours with you if you go. I hear she’s a sharpshooter.”

“Are you saying I’m not?” Ellie raised an eyebrow.

“Yes,” he deadpanned, “Yes I am.”

Ellie rolled her eyes, but laughed, stuffing the map in her backpack as she made her way back out to the diner. She slid into the booth beside Jesse, who’d just arrived, and glanced over at Abby.

“I should kick your ass, you know.”

Abby gave her an amused expression, “One, I’d squash like a bug, two, why?”

“The video you posted. And that no one told me about,” Ellie looked around the table at everyone and Jesse had to press his lips together tightly to keep from grinning. “I’m friends with a bunch of lying hypocrites,” Ellie threw her hands up dramatically trying to get a laugh, but the only person that did was Jesse.

“You guys are acting like your grandma just died or something, what’s up?”

“Nothing,” Abby said quickly, shooting an accusing glance at Dina before reaching into her pocket and pulling out the knife. “This make up for it?”

Ellie reached across the table and grabbed the knife, turning it over in her hands. She looked like she was about to cry.

“Where’d you find this?”

“Owen went back to that warehouse; it was on the stairs.”

“Thank you,” she said, relief flooding through her; she’d felt naked without her mother’s switchblade.

“Or course,” Abby said, “That’s what friends do, give you the things you deserve to kno-have,” she corrected quickly.

“Okay…” Ellie laughed nervously, “But I’m not gonna call us even unless you pay for my burger.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Dina seems to have made up her mind about telling Ellie, and Abby isn't happy about it. I wanted there to be a parallel between her and Ellie- they both are the only person they fully trust, and are terrified of losing. While this drives Ellie to be completely honest, it makes Dina lie. 
> 
> Now Ellie has the address where everything happened, so it'll be interesting to see if she approaches Joel, goes there on her own (in this case this is the equivalent of Ellie returning to the Firefly hospital), or does both. 
> 
> Also Yara is alive?? Makes you wonder who else the Phantoms "killed" and brought into their ranks👀👀 
> 
> Let me know that you think, and thank you for reading, your comments are so fun to read and really motivate me to write❤️


	22. It's Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where it's Christmas 
> 
> Song at the beginning: River by Joni Mitchell. I highly recommend listening to it while reading the scene it's in!! The lyrics are VERY important.

_It's coming on Christmas  
They're cutting down trees  
They're putting up reindeer  
And singing songs of joy and peace_

Dina stopped hanging tinsel from the rafters as the song blared through the speakers.

“Can you change stations?” she called from her ladder.

Jesse glanced up from the other side of the bar, and the bell at the end of his Santa hat jingled. “Why?”

“This song is depressing as hell.”

They both stopped what they were doing to listen to the next set of lyrics.

_Oh, I wish I had a river  
I could skate away on  
But it don't snow here  
It stays pretty green_

Jesse shrugged, “I like it- and besides, my radio, my choice.”

“You’re the worst,” Dina said, picking up the next string of tinsel, but he only smiled and continued stapling lights to the bar counter.

_I'm going to make a lot of money  
Then I'm going to quit this crazy scene  
I wish I had a river  
I could skate away on_

She felt sick to her stomach, keeping things from Ellie. She had no idea how Joel had done it for so long, or how Firely had done it to _her_. Ever since that day at the park a week ago, Ellie had been distant; she hadn’t said anything else about Joel, or the matching handwriting in the journal and her mother’s note, but Dina knew she was still turning it over in her head; that’s just the way Ellie was, always thinking.

She wanted to tell her, so badly, but what if it all blew up, and she left? It had only been three months, but Ellie had quickly become Dina’s entire world.

_I wish I had a river so long  
I would teach my feet to fly  
Oh, I wish I had a river  
I could skate away on_

What if they just left? They grabbed some helmets, hopped on Shimmer, and rode away? Away from their families, their responsibilities, everything. Could they just be happy, content, or was that too much to ask?

“Hey D, you got the box of staples?” Jesse called.

“They’re on the counter,” She said gesturing in the general direction.

Their first official job as seconds was to decorate the entire bar for Christmas, which was unexpected, but a welcome job, since it was for Ellie.

Dina looked around the space at everything they’d managed to do already; there were icicle lights hanging from the ceiling, a banner hanging from the rafters that said “Found,” and tinsel wrapping the two fireman’s poles in the middle of the room.

Dina took a sharp intake of breath and pinched the bridge of her nose; Ellie was going to figure it out, now that she knew something was going on. Her girlfriend was oblivious, but she wasn’t stupid. Wouldn’t it save her so much pain if Dina just told her the truth if she was going to find out either way? At least she would hear it from someone she loved… but if she ever found out Dina had known and not told her…

She nodded to herself; she’d tell her tonight after the party, because that’s what Ellie would do- _had_ done for her, and they hadn’t even known each other. Maybe she just had to trust that Ellie loved her enough to stay.

_I made my baby say goodbye_

The lyrics drifted back into her hearing, and they were haunting and all too familiar. Would Ellie ever trust her again if she said she’d known for a week without telling her?

She couldn’t know.

“I need some air,” Dina said, stepping off the ladder, and rushing out of the bar, hand covering her mouth.

…

“Can I take the blindfold off now?” Ellie asked, a comical annoyance laced into her tone.

“Yes,” Joel chuckled, “You can take it off.”

Ellie tugged the cloth they’d tied around her eyes onto her forehead, and looked up at where Joel and Sarah had led her.

“Happy Found Day,” they said at the same time, as Ellie laughed at the building in front of them.

“The aquarium.” 

When she’d been a little kid, she’d gotten into a lot of trouble, and when Joel had threatened to take away hockey or her switch blade, _she’d_ threaten to run away.

_“And where would you go?” He always asked, amused._

_“I’ll live with the fish!”_

“Afraid I’ll leave you for the fish, old man?” Ellie joked, but his face grew serious.

“More than anything.”

Ellie glanced at Sarah, but she was pointedly looking away, and Ellie frowned.

“I’m right here,” She planted her feet firmly on the ground for emphasis, “I’m not going anywhere.”

Joel nodded more to himself than to Ellie, and she reached out and hugged him, “I’m right here.”

Sarah let the moment drag out for an excruciating two seconds before growing impatient. 

“You two just gonna stand there all day, or…?”

Ellie laughed as Sarah pulled on her arm and led them into the building, which had a giant whale suspended from the ceiling in the entrance hall. Even though she was much bigger and hadn’t been there in at least five years, it still reminded her of how small she was compared to everything out there in the world.

“Hey, look,” Ellie laughed, and pointed to the whale’s head, where one of the workers had placed a santa hat.

“Do you know,” Joel said as they walked underneath it, “What whales need to stay healthy?”

“No, what?”

“Vitamin Sea.”

Ellie laughed, “Good one,” at the same time as Sarah rolled her eyes, “oh god.”

“ _But_ ,” Ellie cut in, “I bet _you_ don’t know how whales make decisions.”

“Did you two memorize an entire book or something?” Sarah snapped, looking between her sister and dad.

“How?” Joel asked, ignoring Sarah.

“They flipper coin.”

“That’s my girl,” he clapped Ellie’s shoulder as they walked through the entrance turnstiles. Entrance was free on holidays, so there weren’t even cashiers behind the booths, just a lady with elf ears waving people through.

After they passed through, they walked into the first room, which was a long tube that cut through the middle of a tank. They were surrounded by fish and water in every direction, and it was just as beautiful as she’d remembered.

As they walked, Ellie ran her fingers along the glass of the tank, and was transported to her second found day, when she was five.

_“Now Ellie, this here,” Joel tapped on the glass where she had her nose pressed, “Is a lionfish.”_

_“Whoa,” she whispered, her eyes following the strange looking creature. “Can I have one?”_

_“We’ll see, kiddo,” he laughed._

The next morning she’d woken up to find a fish tank in her bedroom; Ellie still had no idea how Joel had gotten his hands on one so quickly, but she’d never questioned it. Now though? Now she was questioning everything.

_“Why isn’t Uncle Tommy here?”_

_Joel looked away from the lionfish, and sighed, “Tommy saw the world one way, I saw the other.”_

_“Why?”_

_“He didn’t…” Joel struggled to find the words, “He didn’t agree with certain things I did- am doing.”_

_“Why?”_

_“Ellie,” Joel laughed, “Don’t worry about it- you’ll understand when you’re older.”_

They walked out of the tunnel into the next area where a few people were crowded around a seal exhibit directly in front of them. What had he meant by that, “You’ll understand when you’re older?” Ellie screwed her eyes shut as they stood near the sea lions, trying to remember before then, when Tommy and Joel had fought, but all she could remember was hearing her name yelled from the bar below her room.

_“It’s okay, Ollie,” She’d whispered into the elephant’s ear, “I’ll protect you.”_

Ellie slipped her hand in her pocket, and felt the note, worn down from years of her reading it and carrying it around. The note her mom had written before she’d died, the only proof she had that “Anna” had even existed.

“Hey El, let’s look at the sharks,” Sarah tugged on her arm, and she started moving again, but she was on autopilot.

Why had her mother written the note in the first place? Joel had said that _eventually_ they were going to ask him to take care of her; it hadn’t been time yet when her parents had died- no one plans to die. So why had she written the note in the first place, if Ellie wasn’t supposed to leave yet, and she hadn’t known she would be killed?

Ellie mulled over the words in her mind again…

_You're not even four years old and holding you is the most incredible thing I've done in my life - a life that is about to get cut a little short._

That didn’t make any sense- it would’ve been a normal day leading up to the gunfight and the fire. She had no reason to…Ellie glanced over at Joel, who was at a concession stand buying a coffee.

She wasn’t ready to ask Joel yet; but Sarah on the other hand…

“What was it like? The day you found me?” She chanced, glancing over at her sister.

Sarah smiled a little, but kept her eyes trained on the sharks swimming in front of her, “Well, I wasn’t _there_ , there, I was ten,” she bumped Ellie’s shoulder with her own, “But when dad brought you back you were dirty- like, head to toe covered in dirt. And dad,” she laughed, “he said, ‘this is your sister, Ellie.’”

“That’s all he said?”

“You know him, not one to beat around the bushes. One minute I was an only child, the next I had a sister that looked like she’d been dragged out of a pig stye.”

“Yeah,” Ellie laughed under her breath, as they moved on to a wall of zebra fish. She watched her sister for a moment; Sarah looked so much younger under the neon lights of the aquarium, with her hair pulled up out of her face and an easy smile.

“I miss you.”

Sarah turned, a little startled, but her eyes were soft, “I miss you too. So much.”

“Maybe…” Ellie twisted the ring around her finger nervously, “Maybe we could try again?”

“I… Yes, I’d like that,” she smiled, but glanced at the ring Ellie kept messing with, “About Riley-”

Ellie only shook her head, “Trying again. So…” she turned around and waited until Sarah tapped her shoulder.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” Ellie said with a small smile, “It’s been a long nine months without you. I’m glad you’re home.”

“Yeah,” Sarah breathed out, “Me too.”

Ellie chewed on her bottom lip, and turned back to the fish, a warm feeling spreading through her chest. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“Did you ever meet my parents? You know, since they were friends with Dad?”

“Friends with...” Sarah glanced back at Joel, who was stirring something into his cup, “Is that what he told you?”

Ellie had to think quickly- if she said yes, she knew Sarah would shut down- there were obviously so many lies, she’d just go with whatever Joel had said. But if she said no…

“No, I just assumed.”

“I’m gonna be honest Ellie, I was a kid too so I don’t remember much, but I can assure you they weren’t friends. They…” she shook her head, “They definitely weren’t friends.” 

She watched her sister’s wide blue eyes, but for once she could tell she wasn’t lying. Something had shifted between them, something big.

Despite that, Ellie’s stomach was in knots; just as she’d suspected, the letter was a fake.

…

“You sure you want to be spending Christmas here?” Abby asked as Lev sat down on her ratty couch. She and Owen had been camping out in the unused basement of the public library thanks to a Phantom he was buddies with.

“Of course I am,” Lev said, pulling his knees to his chest.

“How’s your mom?”

He shook his head, “I don’t know, Joel won’t tell me anything.”

“And you?”

The way Abby was looking at him in the soft light with the smell of hot chocolate wafting through the air, he almost told her. About the Demon House he was being forced to keep an eye on, his overheard conversations about Ellie, how the “friend” he’d been going to parties with was his sister… He thought she’d wanted to be with him, spend time with him, but he’d been wrong.

“I’m good,” he said instead, “I wish it would snow.”

“Ugh, I hope not, we’ve only got one heater in here.”

“Chocolate Caliente for everyone,” Manny grinned, standing up from the small portable stove in the corner with three mugs. “My grandmother’s recipe.”

“I miss Abuela Alvarez,” Abby smiled, grabbing her cup from him.

Manny sat on the other side of Lev, handed him a cup, and pulled something out of his pocket.

“Marshmallows?” Lev asked hopefully.

“Nope,” he laughed, slipping something into the mug that had an “O” on it, for Owen.

“Manny, what the hell was that?” Abby asked, leaning around Lev to narrow her eyes at him.

“Relax Abby, just a little… revenge. Nothing hard. I do-” Manny said getting up, “Have marshmallows though. Let me find them.”

Lev gave Abby a concerned look, but she only shrugged, “Come on, Levy. Owen kind of deserves it.”

…

Ellie sat in the middle of the empty exhibit, the only thing keeping her company the splash the penguins made as they jumped into the water. She held the note in her hand, and her eyes kept reading over not her mother’s, but Joel’s words over and over again.

_I see so much strength in you. I know you'll turn out to be the woman you're meant to be._

_Forever... your loving mother_

_[Anna](https://thelastofus.fandom.com/wiki/Anna) _

It was a lie, all of it.

She felt dizzy even though she was sitting down.

With shaking hands, Ellie reached behind her and pulled the map Tommy had given her from her backpack. Her finger traced the route she’d need to take from the bar to Phantom territory. She had to go there, see what had happened with her own eyes.

“Ellie!”

She turned to find Joel jogging up to her, and she quickly stuffed the map and note back into her bag.

“Where’ve you been? We’ve been looking for you, Kiddo.”

“Oh, I…”

“You ready to pick up Dina’s bike?”

“Yeah,” she nodded breathlessly. Who was the man standing in front of her? She didn’t know anymore.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

…

As Ellie and Sarah finished up the paperwork for the bike, Joel stood outside the auto shop smoking a cigarette, something he hadn’t done in a long time. Every Christmas the memories from the night he’d found Ellie played through his mind on loop.

_“You ain’t gotta do this, Joel,” Tommy said from behind him as he held his gun trained on a man: Ellie’s father._

_“Keep her, she’d be…” the man at gunpoint whimpered, “she’d be better off with you anyhow. I won’t say a word- she’s yours.”_

_“You’d just come after her,” Joel said, glancing towards the house. He knew the little girl was in there; he’d seen her looking through the window when he’d come to bust the Phantoms that had been causing problems in the Eastside._

_“She’s a good girl,” the woman beside him nodded, “A strong girl. Tell her that.”_

_Joel growled, flicking the safety off his gun, “That why you branded her like the rest of you?”_

_“Joel, you need to calm down,” Tommy said, trying to put a hand on his shoulder, but he yanked away. He couldn’t stop seeing those big green eyes looking at him, terrified. In another world that could be Sarah, watching him deal and get eaten alive by gang business._

_He had to save her._

Two shots echoed through the Westside on that Christmas night, and a baby Phantom became a Viper.

“Joel, you ready to go?”

Ellie’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and he smiled at her, or tried to, anyway.

…

Owen clutched his hot chocolate mug to his chest, “They just… left him, like he meant _nothing_.”

“They did, amigo,” Manny said, patting Owen’s shoulder, trying not to laugh.

“And get this- no one but the mom even realized Kevin was gone. It’s like they didn’t love him at all,” Abby grinned. 

Owen moaned and threw his head back, “He just wants to be appreciated,” he sobbed.

Beside Abby, Lev was recording the whole thing, trying not to laugh too much and shake the camera.

“Home Alone is my new favorite movie,” she smiled, settling further back into the couch. At that point, no one was even watching the film, just Owen’s drugged reaction to it. 

“Oh!” Lev put his phone down suddenly, and reached into his bag, “I got you something.”

“Whoa, kid, you didn’t have to do that,” Abby said, turning away from the “show.”

“I made one for all of us,” he said, handing her a stocking, “Well- me, you, and Ellie. She’s got hers in her room.”

“Lev…” Abby held the stocking in her hands, running her fingers along her name, which was stitched into the top. She literally had no other words to say, because the truth was, aside from her dad, no one had ever loved her enough to make her something like this.

“I almost forgot…” he reached into his bag again, “This is from Ellie.”

“Ellie… got me something?”

“Of course she did,” he shrugged, “We’re your family- open it.”

Abby held her breath as she undid the ribbon tying the package and laughed at the terrible wrapping job Ellie had done. Once the paper was torn off, she was left with a small box. 

Abby lifted the lid to find a necklace chain with a single pendant on it, about the size of a quarter. On the front was an opened-mouthed serpent, that she knew was the new symbol of the Rattlers, and on the back, her name was engraved.

“Abby Anderson.”

“Look-” Lev reached under the collar of his shirt to pull out a chain of his own, “We all have one- it means we’re friends of the Rattlers. If they see this and we’re in trouble, they’ll protect us.”

Abby flipped the necklace again, running her fingers along the raised serpent.

“But Joel-”

“Ellie talked to him. We both did. If you want to come back, you can. If not… you can keep the necklace. You’ll always be one of us, Abs.”

Abby stood up abruptly, realizing she’d made a mistake in letting her need for revenge blind her, “Where’s Ellie?”

…

Ellie placed the new helmet on the seat of the bike and stepped back. She’d bought a giant red bow to put on top, but somehow that didn’t seem very “Dina” to her, so she’d scrapped it.

“Hey Ellie,” Sarah stepped out of the bar, “Come here a second?”

“Yeah,” she ran her hand along the cranberry-red bike as she made her way around, and followed Sarah through the entrance.

“Surprise!”

Ellie’s knife was in her hand and outstretched before she could process what was going on. Her heart was racing, her eyes wild as she slowly realized she wasn’t in any danger, but she had instead been gifted a surprise party.

Everyone was quiet as they watched her, but Dina was quick to move, unfazed by the switchblade.

“Happy Found Day, Babe.”

She lowered Ellie’s hand with her own, and Ellie huffed a little.

“Sorry- thank you,” Ellie said, slipping her knife back into her pocket, and looking at all of the Rattlers that had shown up, whether it was for the free food, or for her she didn’t know.

She received a few awkward smiles and pats on the back before everyone went back to what they were doing before, dancing in the cleared center of the room, or talking off to the side.

“You hungry?”

“Maybe later,” Ellie said, still feeling a little on edge.

“Okay… come on, I have something I think will make you feel better.”

Dina took her hand and led her towards the center as Rattlers danced around them.

“I don’t really feel like dancing either,” Ellie said when Dina stopped them, and put her hands around her shoulders. Ellie let them sway, but she tucked her face into the side of Dina’s neck, closing her eyes.

“Who said anything about dancing?” Dina asked, feeling the cold tip of Ellie’s nose brush against her.

“Hmmm?”

“Look up.”

Ellie begrudgingly looked up to find Mistletoe hanging from the ceiling.

“Is that poison ivy?”

“You’re infuriating,” Dina said, lightly hitting her shoulder.

“You love it,” Ellie muttered, growing closer.

“I do.”

Across the room, Joel was busy plugging his guitar into an amp.

“You have to tell her, dad.”

“Sarah, you don’t know the half of what went down that night,” he growled, irritated she was continuing the argument she’d started after the aquarium.

“I know enough,” she said, backing away.

Joel closed his eyes and breathed deeply; if Ellie found out what really happened that night, he’d lose everything. 

“If I could get everyone’s attention,” Joel spoke into the microphone, and the rumble of talking died down. It was easy to see Ellie, whose arms were wrapped around Dina, in the center of the room.

“Usually Ellie plays this here gee-tar,” he gestured, “but this year I’ll have to sing and play this myself.”

“You play the guitar?” Dina whispered in Ellie’s ear. She only nodded in response, an unreadable expression on her face. What else did Dina not know about her girlfriend? Had she not been paying enough attention?

Joel cleared his throat and looked away, sliding a capo on his guitar.

“For Sarah, who made me a father,” he said, nodding in his oldest daughter’s direction, “And Ellie, who reminded how to be one.”

Dina felt Ellie stiffen as Joel’s coarse voice paired with the sweet-sounding guitar echoed through the room.

_If I ever were to lose you  
I'd surely lose myself  
Everything I have found dear  
I've not found by myself  
Try and sometimes you'll succeed  
To make this man of me  
All my stolen missing parts  
I've no need for anymore_

Ellie looked up at the ceiling, tears in her eyes. She loved him, and she hated him. He was a liar, but he was also father.

_I believe  
And I believe 'cause I can see  
Our future days  
Days of you and me_

His voice drowned out, and the only thing she could see was red; how _dare_ Joel go up there, claiming he loves her, claiming he cares, when he’s been lying to her for seventeen years?

Ellie rubbed her hands over her eyes, and pulled away from Dina, trying her best not to attract attention as she rushed towards the door, grabbing her backpack on the way.

“Hey, where are you going…?”

Dina was trying to catch up with her, but Ellie didn’t look back until she reached the cold outside air.

“I have to… I have to go do something,” She managed to gasp out, pulling her jacket tight around her shoulders. Ellie glanced at the new bike setting in front of them, “That’s for you, by the way,” she said as an afterthought.

“ _What_?”

“You need a bike,” she said, trying to catch her breath, “Merry Christmas, Dina.”

“Hold on in a minute,” Dina grabbed her arm again that time, a little rougher than she meant to, and Ellie winced.

“I have to.”

“Okay…” Dina glanced at the bike sitting in front of them, “Let me take you on _my bike_ then,” she said, trying to use her joking as a way for Ellie to let her in, but she only backed further away.

“How about…” Dina looked at the bike, her eyes settling on the writing along the side, “Japan?”

“No, I don’t want to…I don’t want you to feel like you have to come, or-”

“Ellie,” Dina pressed her hand against Ellie’s splotched cheek. This was it, this was the moment. “You go, I go.”

In the distance, Abby’s bike could be heard rumbling towards the bar, but Ellie and Dina were already taking off on Japan in the opposite direction.

…

Ellie stood in the middle of the empty living room at the address Tommy had told her to go to. There was nothing there, nothing.

She shook her head, and started looking around again, switching her backpack flashlight on once more. Ellie felt like she was in a movie, looking around the abandoned house, from a life that had once been hers.

Dina was waiting outside, keeping watch at her insistence. This was something she needed to do on her own.

Why had Tommy given her the address if there was nothing there? Not on the floor, not in the drawers… it was like a ghost house. She circled around again anyway, checking the floorboards, looking behind the bathroom mirror…

The house appeared to be perfectly empty until she spotted a set of scratches beside a bookshelf full of dusty encyclopedias. With a few shoves she had it moved, and a set of stairs leading to some sort of basement was revealed.

Ellie pulled her knife out and held it in front of her as she descended the steps, half expecting someone to jump out at her.

No one did, and just like the rest of the house, the basement was empty aside from a single tape recorder sitting on a foldout card table.

…

Ellie sat on the curb rewinding the recording over and over again.

“The Old Man’s gone on a killing spree,” A man’s voice quavered, his words jumbled and broken. “Don’t know how much longer it’ll be before he gets to us- the king… the king doesn’t know where we are, that we had Ellie. It’s what we get for running- the Phantoms can’t protect us anymore-” the voice stopped suddenly, and a scream screeched through the speakers, “He’s here, I’ve gotta-”

That was the entirety of the recording: a man being _terrified_ of Joel coming after him.

The growl of a bike could be heard making its way down the street, but Ellie didn’t look up. She only pressed rewind and play again, allowing the man’s voice, her _father’s_ voice, to speak again.

“Ellie!” Joel shouted when he jumped off his bike, and she finally stood up, recorder in hand.

“Come here,” Joel nearly rammed into her as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “Running off in the middle of a party like that…You talk to me, you don’t just-”

Ellie pushed him away and took a step back, giving no explanation as Dina looked between the two.

“Tell me,” Ellie gripped the tape recorder harder, “What happened here.”

Joel looked at her with wide eyes, and she felt a feral satisfaction work its way through her. She liked that he was uncomfortable, that it was her that had the upper hand.

“If you lie to me one more time, I’m gone. You will _never_ see me again,” She glanced at Dina, whose eyes were wide, “But if you tell me the truth… I’ll go back,” She swallowed, “No matter what it is.”

Joel looked down, and desperation tore through Ellie. She had to know, _needed_ to know the truth.

“Just say it,” she whispered, like _she_ was the parent trying to ease the truth out of her child.

“Joel.”

Finally, he nodded, shame painted in all the creases along his face.

“Leaving you here with your parents- with the phantoms…would’ve killed you.”

Ellie frowned, every emotion in existence going through her mind, but she waited for him to continue.

“So I stopped them.”

Ellie backed up, her lungs tightening, and she nearly fell as she sat back down on the curb.

“Oh my…” she couldn’t even get the words out as the hot tears fell from her eyes against her will. She didn’t want to cry, not in front of him, but she couldn’t stop her breaths from coming out in ugly, ragged gasps.

“Ellie-” Joel reached out, but she shoved his hand away, and stood up.

“Don’t you _fucking_ touch me,” she shouted, feeling like a wild animal trying to be coaxed down. She felt herself backing away, eyes flicking from him to Dina.

“I’ll go back… but we’re _done_.”

Ellie snatched her backpack from the ground, and Joel tried one more time to stop her.

“Ellie, I’m sorry you had to find out from Dina, but-”

She froze, feeling like she’d slammed into a brick wall, “You _knew_ about this?”

“Ellie…” Dina started trying to reach out, but she stopped listening and backed further away.

She felt small, small, small.

Not the good small like in the aquarium, where she was brought back down to earth, but the bad kind, where everyone around her were giants looking down at her, laughing at their inside joke: Ellie. That she was a Phantom, and everyone had known but her.

“We’re _done_ ,” she said again, looking at Dina that time, before pulling her backpack onto her shoulders, and jogging away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First: I want to give a big thank you to my friend Sugarhoneyedicedtea for giving me the idea of Manny getting revenge on Owen for drugging him😂😂 You're the best! 
> 
> So...now many of the questions that have been up in the air for so long are finally answered, and everything has gone South. At least in the eyes of the people who have been lying to Ellie. For her... things of course aren't optimal, but she knows the truth now, and deserves to be able to make this decision on her own. 
> 
> **Nervo, I hope I fulfilled your expectations for the fall out now that Ellie knows the truth. This is only the beginning of that, but it definitely already has major consequences, especially for Dina and Joel. 
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading and commenting!! It truly makes my day hearing what you guys think of my story. Merry Christmas!! ❤️


	23. Take Her to the Ocean For Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: Violence, hints of torture. I don't show anything, but it's heavily insinuated 
> 
> Part Two of It's Christmas

“What do you mean she _left_?”

Lev glanced sideways at Owen, who was muttering to himself as Home Alone continued to play in the background, and Manny, who was quietly snoring on the couch.

“She started freaking out about…” Lev cut off, not wanting to mention Ellie to the very person head of the team looking for her. Yara didn’t know they were close, and he wanted to keep it that way.

“I don’t know, she got called away for something.”

“Shit Lev, you had _one_ job. Now I’m going to have to call in back up.”

“No!” He shouted in panic, “No, Abby’s not even part of the gang anymore. She won’t care if she sees a Phantom.”

“She will.” Yara said.

“What? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Silence.

“Yara, what did you do?”

On the other end of the line, Yara hung up and tossed her phone off to the side to look at the Phantoms in the Eastside Demon house with her.

“We’ll find her. Tonight.”

…

Abby stared at the Rattler pendant in her hand as she leaned up against her bike outside the party.

What was she supposed to say? Hey, I know this is the day you’re supposed to be celebrating how Joel found you, but actually- he killed your parents and kidnapped you instead?

She rubbed the back of her neck tiredly and glanced back at the open doors of the bar; she could hear the rumble of conversation and laughter. Owen had convinced her to leave all of this behind, and for what? It wouldn’t give her dad his ability to walk back, and it would hurt every member of her small family… and it would hurt Ellie the most.

“Abby.”

She whipped around to see Joel walking towards her, hands on his hips.

“Joel,” she nodded.

He cleared his throat and shifted his weight uncomfortably, “Must’ve gotten Ellie’s gift if yer here.”

“Yeah…” she nodded dangling the chain from her hand so he could see. She scraped her boot against the dirt, “Look, about-”

“I ain’t in the business of…” he shook his head, not saying Jerry’s name, causing that familiar anger to flare up in Abby again. “You ain’t got to apologize to me.”

“I wasn’t going to,” she snapped.

Joel sighed, and they watched each other for a moment, sizing one another up.

“I’m not like you- I won’t hurt Ellie just to get revenge for what you did to my dad. She’s my friend.”

“I never claimed to be a good person,” Joel grumbled, “I do what it takes to survive.”

Abby shook her head, “And that’s your problem, Old Man. We’re _people_. Messed up? Yeah. But still. People. And maybe if you saw that, you wouldn’t have taken a golf club to my dad’s spine.” 

“You know it ain’t that simple.”

“Right,” Abby scoffed, making a face, “It never is.”

There was an awkward silence as Abby gripped the pendant in her fist, staring down her father’s attacker. If she was being honest, she wanted the same to happen to Joel. She wanted worse… but who would be next to pay the debt of revenge? Who would fight _her_ for hurting Joel?

The thought of fighting Ellie made her feel physically sick.

“The offer still stands,” Joel said, interrupting her thoughts, “I can get you a jacket, pretend nothing ever happened. Owen ain’t welcome here, but you are.”

“I didn’t come for that,” she shook her head and pushed off of her bike, “I came to talk to Ellie.”

Joel frowned, “I came out here to look for her- you haven’t seen her?”

“No…”

Joel’s frown deepened and he glanced around the street as if he were looking for something, before bolting back inside so quickly Abby knew something was wrong and followed.

“Sarah!” he roared, and the room instantly quieted.

“Ellie- where is she?”

Abby looked in between them, months of not being in the Viper loop apparent, as she had no idea what was going on.

“Last time I saw her she was with Dina,” Sarah shrugged.

“With Dina…the bike’s gone—dammit, did you tell her?” Joel slammed his fist against the counter and his watch, the one Sarah had gifted him so long ago, cracked. He didn’t notice, didn’t even glance down, but she did, and she hoped to god that he lost Ellie the way he’d just lost her.

“I wish I did.”

“Wait, _Dina_ knows?” Abby asked, very confused.

“ _You_ know?” Sarah asked glancing at Abby with her arms crossed.

“Owen told me.”

“Why am I not surprised, that traitorous little-”

“Hey, Abs!”

They all turned to find Jesse swaggering over, a candy cane hanging out of his mouth, and a drink in his hand.

“Long time no see,” he winked.

“I know you’ve been meeting up at Tommy’s,” Joel growled, checking the gun in his holster to see how much ammo he had. “So there ain’t no need to act smart.” 

“Wait,” Sarah interrupted, “Are you going to kill Dina?”

“KILL DINA?!” Jesse exclaimed, tossing his drink over his shoulder, sending the glass bottle shattering.

“No one’s killing anyone,” Abby held her hands out in an attempt to calm everyone. It didn’t work very well.

“Hey!” Talia called as she stormed over, “What the _hell_ is wrong with you? I’m not cleaning that up…” She trailed off when she saw the serious faces surrounding her, “What?”

“Ellie knows,” Joel said, moving to grab his cowboy hat from where it was resting on the counter. “I have to get there before she does something stupid. Stay here, hold the fort down.”

“Should we call in Firefly?” Talia asked.

“No, I can handle this. The patrols should be coming through in a few minutes with their reports. Let me know if they saw anything.”

Joel took one last look at the members surrounding him before nodding and jogging out of the bar.

“So…” Jesse twisted at his eyebrow ring, and Abby grimaced in disgust, “What exactly does Ellie know?”

…

Yara paced the small room so angrily that she was in danger of wearing grooves into the floor.

“How’d you get here?”

“Called a cab,” Lev said, arms crossed, hair rumpled from the Santa hat he’d hurriedly taken off before leaving Abby and Owen’s hideout.

“And how’d you get past the demons downstairs?”

Lev pulled his bow from over his shoulder and sheathed an arrow all in one swift motion, keeping it pointed at his sister.

Yara raised here eyebrows, “ _You_ killed them?”

“No,” Lev said glancing away for a split second, “But they won’t be coming after me any time soon.”

She nodded, “You’re pretty good with that thing. We could use you.”

“ _What_? No, I already had to let you into the Eastside, _and_ I watch over this place. That was the deal.”

“Plans change, Levy.”

“It’s Lev,” He snapped. Only Abby and Ellie called him that, and never once had they said it in a way that was supposed to make him feel small the way his sister did.

They locked eyes, neither daring to break away, until they heard a commotion coming from downstairs.

“They’re here,” Yara said, grabbing her pistol and moving towards the doorway.

Lev refrained from asking more, and kept his bow drawn and pointed towards the doorway. This was his fault, and he knew it. Rattler patrols were so tight that the only way a person that wasn’t supposed to be in the Eastside could get in was if someone who knew the schedule, someone like him, let them in within the few seconds when no one was watching.

This was his mess to clean up.

“Jordan, up here!” Yara called down.

Lev’s heart dropped as he heard not one, but two voices, and was that…

The Phantoms entered the room, each holding a gun to a Rattler’s head: Nora and Eugene.

“Cat” Yara’s eyes snapped to the girl who was holding Nora, “put her over there,” she pointed to one corner of the room, “And him over there.”

“Le-”

“Don’t talk,” Jordan hissed into Eugene’s ear. Lev wanted to scream, wanted to do something to tell them he hadn’t wanted this, hadn’t meant to become a traitor. But he could say nothing, because he _had_ done it.

“The maps,” Yara pointed to the two on the wall displaying all of Jackson, and slowly Lev complied and pulled them down.

“Now,” she said, moving towards Nora, “You first. You’re going to _point_ to where Ellie Williams is, and if you don’t match up with him,” she said, pointing to Eugene, “I’ll kill you.”

“I think I heard something out back,” Lev said suddenly, backing from the room.

“Go check it out—David’s stationed out back so don’t get any ideas,” she said, before turning to begin her interrogation.

Lev closed the door behind him, and scrambled down the warehouse steps, pulling his phone out of his pocket and pressing on the first contact that popped up.

She answered on the first ring. 

“Hello? Lev?”

“Warehouse eight, bring help,” he whispered. 

“What are you doing at eight?” Abby’s voice clipped from the other side of the line.

“No time, just bring-”

Lev slammed into a body in the darkness and backed away to find a man with a ratty beard, sunken in cheeks, and greasy hair looking at him with a cold, dead stare.

“Hello? Are you okay?”

Lev’s heart pounded as he stood frozen, every inch of him screaming danger.

“What do you think you’re doing, kiddie?”

The man reached forward, and Lev took off, running towards the cover of the rows and rows of supply boxes stacked to the ceiling, stuffing his phone in his pocket and causing it to hang up.

“If this is Owen’s stoned ass trying to get you to prank me…” Abby glared at the end call screen and glanced up at the Rattlers around her.

“I can’t believe Ellie didn’t tell me she’s a Phantom,” Jesse shook his head in disbelief.

Talia groaned, “I hate this guy.”

Sarah ignored her, but had to press her lips into a thin line to keep herself from laughing.

“She didn’t _know_ , that’s the reason we’re in the mess.”

“So…” Talia sent a cautious glance to Sarah, “What does this mean, now that she knows?”

Abby continued to listen in as she tried to call Lev back but was only met with his line ringing.

“That we fight like hell to keep her here,” Sarah said, taking a sip of an abandoned drink and wincing at the strength.

“Yeah,” Talia looked Sarah in the eyes, “Yeah, I’m with you.”

“Hey,” Jesse interrupted, “Shouldn’t the patrols be back by now?”

“I think…” Abby clutched at her phone, willing Lev to pick up, “I think they’re being held in warehouse eight.”

…

Ellie knew Dina was following her on Japan as she walked aimlessly through the streets, but she didn’t look back.

She was freezing, with one sleeve pulled up to her elbow because of her cast, and her Converse were doing nothing to keep her feet warm, but she kept the same slow pace, not daring to look at the drawings that covered the pink, the bracelet around her wrist, or even the ring that sat on her middle finger.

Everything made sense now; Joel keeping her away from the Phantoms, he and Tommy’s fight… but most of all, _she_ made sense. Ellie felt this darkness inside herself, this feral, instinctual anger towards everything and everyone against her, and now she knew; it wasn’t because of something she’d done wrong, or the way Joel had raised her, but because of who she was. It was in here genes, her DNA, she was a disease, a fungus.

She was wrong by birth, and somehow that was comforting, because at least she had an excuse for being the way she was. But Joel…

He’d killed her parents, he’d lied to her, he’d—

_All the promises at sundown  
I've meant them like the rest  
All the demons used to come 'round  
I'm grateful now they've left_

_So persistent in my ways  
Hey angel, I am here to stay  
No resistance, no alarms  
Please, this is just too good to be gone_

The lyrics floated around her mind, and she clenched her fists even though it hurt. How was she supposed to go home to that?

“Ellie.”

She ignored Dina and kept walking, even as the bike eased beside her.

“Ellie.”

“ _What_?” She snapped like a wild animal, and Dina flinched.

She was a Phantom, a Phantom.

“We need to get out of here, I just got a call, something’s going down.”

Ellie shrugged and looked away again, “Go then. Nothing’s stopping you.”

“I’m not leaving y-”

“I said go!” Ellie yelled, shoulders shaking, face going red in the darkness.

“No.”

“Why not?” Ellie's shoulders slumped. It was a genuine question, because this was it, wasn’t it? They’d reached the point of no return—first came the lies, and then soon after she would leave. That’s what happened with Sarah, with Riley, and now what would happen with Dina. As ironic as it was, the only person that had never left her, was Joel.

But Dina didn’t move.

“Because I love you.”

“If you loved me,” Ellie said, finally meeting her eyes, “You would’ve told me.”

“Ellie, that’s not-”

“It is,” she said, and continued walking.

She didn’t care what she’d told Joel, that she’d stay. She was allowed a single lie when he’d used up a lifetime’s worth. 

…

Talia and Sarah approached the warehouse from the right, guns drawn as Abby and Jesse approached from the other side.

“Just so you know,” Sarah whispered, scanning the area, “I’m thinking of leaving for good this time, taking Ellie with me and getting the hell out of here.”

Talia glanced over at her, confused. “Yeah?”

“There’s this place in Santa Barbara- she’s always wanted to see the ocean, and… Joel would never find us there.”

“So why are you telling _me_ then?”

“Because I want you and Dina to come with us.”

Talia lowered her gun and really looked at Sarah for the first time. They weren’t that different after all, she realized. They both just wanted to keep their younger sisters safe.

“And why would you want that?”

“Because I care about Ellie, and Ellie cares about Dina, and Dina cares about…” she gestured in Talia’s general direction.

“You’re forgetting,” Talia said, holding her gun out again as they continued walking, “I’ve tried to get out before… didn’t end well.”

“I guess no matter how hard you try, you can’t escape your past,” Sarah said, quoting her father, “And Joel’s is finally catching up with him. This is our chance.”

Talia lowered her weapon completely that time, and Sarah did the same.

Could it really be that simple?

“We’ll talk after this, okay?”

Sarah was about to respond when the butt end of a gun smashed into her temple, and the world went black.

…

Jesse and Abby quickly swept the left side of the building and were looking for a way in when they heard the voice.

“Come on out now, make this easier on both of us.”

“There-”

Jessed pointed to a window, “I’ll boost you up, and then you open the doors.”

Abby scoffed, “Yeah, no. You couldn’t lift me if you tried.”

Jesse looked like he was about to argue but after looking Abby up and down, quickly decided she was right.

Abby caught his foot, and easily lifted him to the window, and Jesse clambered up and over, landing ungracefully inside the warehouse.

“Well, well, well, who is this?” David turned the corner, and spotted Jesse standing up. He didn’t give him a chance to answer, and a shot rang out.

“No!” Lev yelled.

From outside, Abby heard everything, and scanned the area looking for anything that could get her inside. Her eyes landed on a garbage bin, and after struggling for a few moments to get it in the right position, she landed in the same spot Jesse had.

“Hey-” he was a few yards over, crumpled over on the ground.

“I’m fine,” he winced, face smushed against the cement in pain, “Just my arm—Lev.”

Abby turned sharply, looking, and she spotted him, eyes wide standing over David, who had about a dozen arrows stuck in his back.

“Lev,” Abby rushed forward, gathering him in her arms, and she was reminded of how young he was.

“It’s me,” she said as he shook, “It’s me, I’m here.”

“I killed him,” he squeaked, “I’ve never, I’ve--”

“It’s okay now, it’s okay,” Abby held tighter, “I’ve got you.”

“Jesse,” Abby glanced over Lev’s head, “You good?”

“Yeah,” He said, ripping at his shirt sleeve so he could tie it around his arm and stop the bleeding.

There was a scream from upstairs, and they all looked up.

“Stay here,” Abby said, “I’ll check it out.”

…

“Tell me,” Yara said pointing to the map, “Where Ellie Williams is.”

“Miller,” Sarah corrected, her vision still blurry from her five-minute blackout, “She’s a Miller.”

Yara dug the gun into Sarah’s back harder, “You have two minutes.”

“Why would I tell you anything, when you’ll kill me anyway?”

Yara stood up, and looked down at her, “Because maybe I won’t kill _her_ ,” she pointed to Talia, “like I killed them,” she said, referring to Nora and Eugene. They hadn’t budged, and neither would she.

“We’re not giving her up,” Talia laughed. She wasn’t afraid; she’d stopped being afraid along time ago.

“Why don’t you say whatever speech you’ve got rehearsed and get this over with?” Sarah grunted.

“You come into our terf, claiming to be Ellie Williams, and then think you can get away with it? No. You don’t get to rush this.”

Yara glanced around the room, but both Cat and Jordan looked like they were about to be sick.

“Clear out. I’ve got these two.”

…

Dina hung up her phone and looked at Ellie’s skulking form. How had they come to this, only feet apart, but worlds away from each other? She hated this feeling, of missing Ellie when she was right there, so close but just out of reach.

“I’m sorry,” she said, the words sounding strange coming from her mouth. She wasn’t used to apologizing, even when she was in the wrong, because for the most part saying she’s “sorry” would be a lie. But with Ellie, it was different. 

“What am I supposed to do with that?” Ellie spat, “You lied to me after I was the only person that told you the truth.”

“I wanted to tell you, was going to tell you,” Dina sputtered, another thing she wasn’t used to doing, “But…”

“But _what_?” Ellie asked with a vicious bite, the warmth in her eyes usually reserved for Dina drained.

“I can’t lose you.”

“Why does no one seem to understand that I’m _right. Fucking. Here_?”

Ellie was crying again, and Dina didn’t know what to do. She was so tragically beautiful with her red-rimmed emerald eyes, and messy hair.

Dina stepped off her bike, and approached Ellie tentatively, touching her cheek.

“Because you’re good, Ellie. You’re so, so, good. And when you find someone good, you do anything to keep them from all of the bad.”

“I’m not-” Ellie growled, “I’m messed up, and- and twisted and dark, and… a _Phantom._ ”

How did she not understand, not get that Dina didn’t care about those things? Just because something good has a little darkness doesn’t mean you abandon it, that you don’t love it.

“Yes- but you’re also Ellie Miller.”

Dina’s phone buzzed again, and she winced.

“Babe, we really need to go.”

No response.

“Joel just-”

Ellie’s face contorted in fury, and Dina backtracked, “We need to get to warehouse eight-Abby just reported some sort of fight. There may be casualties- apparently… apparently Lev is involved somehow.”

Without a word Ellie mounted Japan behind Dina.

…

Abby was halfway up the stairs when she was bombarded by two Phantoms and had to duck back downstairs. She pointedly tried to stay away from the area she’d hidden Lev and Jesse, but he found her anyway.

“You should stay with Jesse,” she whispered.

“This is my fault, I’m going to help.”

“What—never mind,” she said, shushing him, “We’ll figure this out later.”

Abby ducked behind her crate as a bullet was fired in their direction, but it seemed as if the Phantoms were more focused on escaping than on fighting, and she didn’t know how many more there were.

Outside, they heard the rumble of a bike, and Abby prayed it was who she thought it was.

“Stairs,” she whispered once she was sure the two Phantoms had left the building, and together she and Lev slowly made their way up.

“There ain’t no more down here,” a voice said behind them.

Joel stepped in front of them and took the lead, holding his pistol out and walking up the stairs. Abby and Lev had no choice but to follow, weapons drawn, and when Joel kicked the door at the top of the stairs open, he was the first to react.

Yara never saw Joel coming and was on the floor the second the bullet hit her, but Sarah saw it all, and her eyes fluttered from where she lay, unable to move.

“Get up,” Joel whispered kneeling down beside her, “Get up, baby girl.”

Sarah’s breathing was labored as she looked up at her father. She could barely hear what he was saying over the pounding in her ears, and she couldn’t even lift her hand to wipe at the blood running into her eyes, but she wasn’t angry anymore.

Sarah hoped Ellie learned that sooner than she had; that staying angry hurt no one but yourself.

She was tired, so tired, and it had been a very long time since Joel had held her and told her everything was going to be alright.

“I know it hurts, I know- it’ll be okay, don’t-” Joel’s voice broke, “don’t do this to me.”

She used her last bit of strength to slowly, purposely, lift her hand to his cheek.

“The ocean,” she winced, “Take her to the ocean for me.”

“She’s… she’s…” Lev looked from Sarah to Yara, who lay unmoving on the floor as Abby checked Nora, Eugene, and then Talia’s pulse. Hers was faint, but steady.

“Alive,” Abby stood up, “Talia’s alive.”

“But Yara… she’s… I don’t have- she was my-”

“Hey,” Abby caught his chin and gave Lev a stern look, “ _You’re_ my people.”

Abby took one last glance at Joel, and made up her mind; she wasn’t going to be a part of this anymore, and neither was Lev. As they walked slowly across the street to her bike after checking on Jesse, she saw the headlights heading towards her, and knew who it was on the bike.

Ellie didn’t deserve any of this, but it didn’t matter, because the universe didn’t choose favorites often, but when it did, it was never people like them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, I just want to wish everyone a Happy New Year!! I hope 2021 is safe and happy for all of you guys!! 
> 
> Thank you so much for your support on this fic. It isn't the happiest one... but I hope I sprinkle in enough good moments to even it out. This has sort of become my love letter to both games, so I hope I do them justice!! The Last of Us has truly changed my life in such a personal way. I can't imagine having not played this game, and I truly have never been impacted by a story more than this one. Reading fan fics really got me through this insane, hectic, scary year so thank you to all of the writers and to my readers!! I hope my fic brings you guys as much joy reading it as it does for me as I write it. 
> 
> Wow! What a chapter, right? Pretty much everything has gone to hell, and it's all because of Joel's initial lie that spiraled out of control and led us to these events. I really wanted to mirror Ellie's lost second chance with Joel through Sarah. I was also very hesitant about even having Ellie even TALK to Dina this chapter given what just went down. Let me know what you think!! ❤️❤️


	24. The People Left Behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The funeral
> 
> Highly recommend listening to Sarah's song during this chapter: Heal the Pain by George Michael

Ellie stared at the back of Joel’s bike as he lead the procession of motorcycles, hundreds of Rattlers following him through the streets of Jackson. There was a coffin strapped to the side of his bike in a sidecar, the same as there was on Eugene’s wife’s, and Nora’s mom’s.

Jesse was riding on her left, and Dina on Japan to her right, but Ellie kept her eyes on Joel as they took Sarah on her last ride.

_“Let me tell you a secret, put it in your heart, and keep it…”_

_“Sarah, please,” Ellie glanced to her right, where Sarah was singing as they patrolled the Eastside._

_“Something that I want you to knowwww,” Sarah sang louder, with a grin._

_“I hate you,” she rolled her eyes, and continued to inch forwards, squinting her eyes to survey their dark surroundings._

A year ago. It had been an entire year, and so much had changed. Joel had sent Sarah in to pose as Ellie, and she’d _wanted_ to. Ellie gripped her handles tighter, accidentally revving her engine a little more than she’d meant to.

_“You’re just jealous you didn’t inherit all of this,” she said, gesturing to herself with her hand._

_“Yeah, okay,” Ellie rolled her eyes._

_They continued down the street, looking from house to house, but it was a quiet night, and they could actually see the stars._

_Sarah cut her engine and rubbed her hands together in the cold._

_“So… you and Riley?”_

_“What about me and Riley?” Ellie asked, but her blush gave her away._

_“I get it,” Sarah nodded to herself, “I’m not that old-”_

_“Twenty-six is pretty old,” Ellie interrupted, “Like, you’re reaching dinosaur territory.”_

_“You think everyone’s old- dad, Eugene, Jerry, Marlene. In fact, I think-” she paused, faking shock, “Ellie, are you ageophobic?”_

_“Very funny.”_

_“It’s a serious question.”_

_“Yeah, yeah.” Ellie shoved her hands in her Viper Jacket and looked up at the sky._

_“I don’t think she’s right for you. Riley.”_

_“Why do you say that?” Ellie asked, pulling a pack of cigarettes from her pocket and placing one in her mouth._

_“For one, she got you to start smoking.”_

_Ellie shrugged as she lit up, “Dad doesn’t have a problem with it.”_

_“Dad also gave you your first pistol at ten, so.”_

_“Your other reasons,” Ellie chuckled, blowing out a puff of smoke in Sarah’s direction, causing her sister to scowl and swat the smoke away._

_“What?”_

_“Sounded like you have a list or something, saying all the reasons I shouldn’t be with Riley.”_

_“Fine. Reason two, she’s always disappearing without telling you, and I’m the one that has to fix it.”_

_“That is not-”_

_“It is,” Sarah crossed her arms, “And you deserve better than that.”_

_Ellie looked away, “Yeah, well…”_

_There was a moment of silence as they both looked up at the sky again. Ellie wanted to touch the stars so badly, and she was about to say that when Sarah spoke again._

_“And reason three, she’s ABSOLOUTELY corrupted your taste in music.”_

_“Excuse me?”_

_“You used to love George Michael!”_

_“When I was twelve,” Ellie laughed, nudging her shoulder._

_“How can I help youuuuu, please let me try toooooo,” Sarah laughed in-between verses, “I can heal the pain that you’re feeling insideeeeee.”_

_She grabbed Ellie’s hand and tried to get her to sing as she wiggled her eyebrows._

_“Whenever you want meeee,” Ellie reluctantly joined in, “Know that I will be waiting for the day that you say you’ll be minnneeeeee.”_

_“There,” Sarah nodded, “That wasn’t so hard.”_

_Ellie smirked and dropped her cigarette to the ground to stomp it out._

_“You really shouldn’t smoke, El.”_

_“Alright, alright,” she said making a big show of taking the pack out of her pocket and tossing it in the gutter nearby._

_“Good. Hey-” she pointed to the sky, “Found the first star! You’ve gotta make a wish. I’ll start.”_

_“Here we go,” Ellie smirked._

_“I wish,” Sarah said, “You’d stop blasting ACDC in your room every time Riley’s over.”_

_“And I-” Ellie stopped, glancing over at her sister. She was going to say something cocky but decided against it at the last minute._

_“I wish this was infinite.”_

_“That what’s infinite?”_

_“I don’t know,” Ellie shrugged, “Just… this.”_

_“Nothing lasts forever, you know that.”_

_Ellie looked back up at the sky, “Doesn’t mean we can’t try.”_

…

Ellie didn’t know how she got there, but suddenly she was acting as a pallbearer at the Eastside cemetery, walking opposite of Joel. 

She knew it was cold outside, could see the snow falling to the ground, but she didn’t feel it. Her entire body moved as if some other force were driving her forward. Just like everyone else, she was wearing her Rattler jacket over her suit, but it no longer felt natural. It felt stifling and tight.

Everyone was watching as they led the three coffins to their final resting place, and because of that, Ellie’s senses were dialed up to one hundred.

Tommy had come, marking the first time he and Joel had seen each other in years, but neither even acknowledged the other. Both he and Maria stood together, another abnormality, and nodded to her, offering small smiles.

She tried to return them but couldn’t.

Ellie felt like she was teleporting in and out of consciousness, as time seemed to jump from scene to scene like a movie every time she blinked. She went from walking down the row of bikes with Joel, to standing near the casket, to sitting in between Dina, who was rubbing circles on the back of Ellie’s hand with her thumb, and Joel, who was staring at the broken watch on his wrist.

_Ellie and Sarah leaned up against the dealership disk as the salesman finalized the paperwork for Japan._

_“So…” Sarah wiggled her eyebrows up and down, “You and Dina.”_

_“Shut up,” Ellie shook her head but couldn’t help smiling. Even though the discovery of Joel’s secret was looming over her, there was also the promise of the fresh start with Sarah, and to see that she was still the same joking older sister as before made the sting of his lie a little less painful._

_“For what it’s worth…” Sarah looked through the window where they could see Joel taking a smoke break. “I like her.”_

_Ellie’s eyes lit up, “Yeah?”_

_“Doesn’t mean I won’t hunt her ass down if she hurts you. But yeah. Dina’s alright. I guess,” she added at the end._

_“You guess?” Ellie bumped Sarah’s shoulder._

_“I mean…there’s always room for improvement. Seriously, what is up with you liking girls with such awful taste in music?”_

_Ellie pinched the bridge of her nose, a newly acquired habit she’d picked up from Dina._

_“How many times do I have to tell you,” Ellie laughed, “just because someone doesn’t like the same music as you, doesn’t mean what they listen to is bad.”_

_“That… is exactly what someone with bad taste would say.”_

_“I really love her,” Ellie said quietly._

_“Yeah,” Sarah nodded, “I know you do.”_

_Ellie pushed her hands in her pockets, something made difficult by her bulky cast, and started to whistle._

_“You learned to whistle? Great, another thing you can annoy me with.”_

_She was smiling though, having immediately recognized the tune of her favorite song, and started to sing quietly._

_“You tell me you're cold on the inside, how can the outside world…” She trailed off so Ellie could join in._

_“Be a place that your heart can embrace? Be good to yourself, 'Cause nobody else…Has the power to make you happy,” They finished together, both smiling._

_Sarah’s face turned serious, “We’re allowed to be happy. You know that, right?”_

_“Yeah,” Ellie looked away, “Yeah, I know.”_

_“Good. No matter what happens,” Sarah said, catching her eye again for emphasis, “Don’t forget that.”_

…

Coach Tess was the first to give a speech about Nora; she went on and on, talking about how she would be missed, how she’d been a bright light in the world that was snuffed out too soon.

It was bullshit, all of it.

The way Ellie saw it, once you die, people forget what you were really like. They say how much they loved you, or how kind you were. Even if you were the worst person that had ever lived, someone would find a way to romanticize your life once you were dead.

Funeral speeches weren’t for the deceased, they were to make the people left behind feel a little better about the time they hadn’t done that one favor for so and so, or had been snappy when they shouldn’t have been.

The truth was Nora had been a pain in the ass to play hockey with, and wasn’t much easier to talk to off the ice. But that was who she was, not the angel Tess, and everyone else was painting her to be now that she was gone. Nora would hate this speech, would hate being remembered as someone she wasn’t.

“ _You’re the most shit right winger I’ve ever played with, Miller_ ,” Nora’s voice rang through her head.

And yet she’d died protecting Ellie; they all had. 

Ellie teleported again, and she was sitting on a bar stool beside Abby as Rattlers cluttered up the floor eating from the table full of casseroles people had made. Every now and then people walked up to her, said things, but she didn’t hear a word.

Jesse’s arm was in a sling as he told stories about when he and Nora would go out on Patrol together as Scorpions across the room. Talia, who had stitches at her temple, and bruises nearly everywhere sat with her parents and Dina, who kept glancing over at Ellie.

Even though the two gangs had combined, they seemed to be mourning for the members separately, as the former Vipers were on one side of the room, and the Scorpions on the other.

Abby messed with the cuffs of her sleeves nervously, and Ellie looked over to her.

“So… I don’t know how to tell you this, so I’m just going to get straight to the point. Lev and I are leaving.”

Ellie didn’t move, and Abby thought she hadn’t heard.

“We’re leaving, El.”

“I heard you the first time,” Ellie said, taking a sip from her drink.

“And-” Abby glanced around the room nervously, “I want you to come with us.”

“Can’t,” she grunted, “But go. Lev’s better off with you, anyway.”

Abby was taken aback by Ellie’s reaction; she’d expected her to be angry, or upset, or at least _something_ other than red rimmed eyes and hollow words.

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

Ellie shrugged, “Everyone leaves eventually. Take him.”

“Come with us,” Abby pleaded, “We’ve got room, Lev’s packing the van right now.”

“ _I can’t_ ,” She said again, slapping her palm on the counter, “If this were me, they’d be dead—Sarah would’ve been after them already.”

“Who? Yara’s already dead, Joel-”

“Owen,” Ellie hissed, causing Abby to lean back a little. She’d never seen that look on Ellie before, one of pure venom and rage, and it scared her.

“Where is he?”

“Ellie, I’m not… I can’t… you can’t kill Owen.”

Just because Abby was leaving him behind didn’t mean she didn’t care anymore, even if he _had_ encouraged her to go after pointless revenge.

“Tell me,” Ellie said, getting to her feet hand flicking towards the familiar spot in her back pocket.

“Whoa, whoa, you’re drunk,” Abby said, trying to reach her hands out, but receiving a shove in response.

“I’m not.”

“You are,” Abby said, trying to get her to see reason because this was _Ellie_ and she didn’t want to fight her.

“Where is he?”

They were starting to attract attention as Ellie’s voice grew in volume, but Abby couldn’t let this escalate out of control, she wouldn’t.

“Do you hear yourself right now? Owen isn’t the one who killed Sarah.”

Ellie flicked her switch blade open and pointed it towards Abby, “If he wouldn’t have been a traitor, none of this would’ve happened.”

“Ellie-” Abby glanced over the shorter girl’s shoulder to see Dina trying to make her way over. If she could keep her calm for a few more seconds, Dina would be able to reign her back in; she always could.

“This is…” Ellie’s eyes were dangerously wild, and Abby did the only thing she could think to do, try to wrestle the knife away.

Ellie growled and threw a punch, landing it on Abby’s jaw, and without thinking Abby reacted, because that was what she’d been trained to do, had been told to do. When someone hits you, you hit back a thousand times harder.

Ellie yelped and staggered back, blood streaming from her nose.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-” Ellie lunged again but nearly toppled over when Dina finally arrived and swiftly stepped in between them.

“ _Hey_ -” Dina tried to coax Ellie away, pushing her back into Ellie’s front, but Abby kept talking, jumping from apologetic to accusing.

She wasn’t sure why she said it, the thing she knew would make her snap.

“You think Sarah died for this? For you to become another psycho Phantom?”

Ellie whipped back around despite her bleeding nose, “The fuck did you just say?”

“Ellie-” Dina tried to pull her back, “Ellie, don’t.”

“Hey!” Like a saving grace Joel stampeded over, and shoved Abby back.

“Get the hell out of here-”

“Get your hands off of me,” Abby spat, backing away, but Maria was right behind Joel.

“Just take him,” Ellie whispered, to herself. Take Lev far away, and never look back. 

“That’s _enough_ ,” Maria said, pulling Abby’s arm, “Come on, let’s go for a walk.”

“What about-” Abby was looking at Ellie wide eyed; she’d heard the whisper, heard the surrender Ellie had offered.

“You worry about yourself,” Maria said, gripping Abby’s arm harder, and taking her outside.

There was an uneasy silence as Abby and Maria left, and Ellie grabbed a fistful of napkins from the counter to cover her nose.

“You alright, kiddo?” Joel stepped towards Ellie, but she backed away, nearly running Dina over.

“What is wrong with you?” She snapped.

“He had no right…”

“And you do?” She swiped at her nose, “I don’t need your fucking help, Joel.”

“Right,” he nodded to himself, and the expression on his face almost made Ellie break, “But you-”

“I am _not_ your daughter,” Ellie spat.

She regretted it the moment the words left her mouth, but she didn’t take it back.

“Maybe you’re right,” Joel conceded, “You’re not my daughter. But I sure as hell am your dad.”

Ellie scoffed and looked away as he continued, not caring that the entire bar was watching them.

“Do you even realize what your life means to me? Running off like that, putting yourself at risk?”

“Well I guess we’re both disappointed with each other then.”

“What do you want from me?” Joel pleaded, and she hated it, how even after he’d lied to her and killed her parents she didn’t hate him even a little bit. But she wanted to.

And maybe that would be easier if she made him hate her first. 

Ellie locked eyes with him, “To say it out loud- I’m the cure. I’m the cure, and you took that away from me, and now they’re dead.”

“Ellie- you are treading on some mighty thin ice here.” 

“I’m sorry you had to make the decision, Joel,” Ellie said, “To kill them, to lie to me about. But don’t you get it? I’ve lost people too- she’s _gone_. And it’s because of us.”

“You have no _idea_ what loss is.”

Dina tensed beside Ellie as she pulled her arm away.

“Everyone I’ve cared for has either died or left me,” Ellie said, saying the words for the first time out loud. “Everyone fucking except for _you_ ,” she yelled, pushing him.

Joel’s expression changed at that; everyone’s did. Every Rattlers was looking at her with pity, and she couldn’t stand it.

“Here,” she shrugged her Rattler jacket off and handed it to him, “I can’t do this anymore.”

…

Ellie leaned up against the back of the building and stared at the pack of cigarettes in her hand. Her nose had stopped bleeding, but her face was stained pink even after all the scrubbing she’d done in the bathroom. She hadn’t smoked since that night with Sarah, but she found herself tearing the plastic wrapping anyway, and glancing towards the Rattler beside her.

“Got a light?”

He looked over at her and nodded, handing her his after she offered him a cigarette in exchange. “Keep it, kid,” he said, pushing off the wall and heading back inside.

Ellie rubbed at her eyes, trying to forget the day’s events.

Nora’s face flashed in front of Ellie’s eyes again, laughing as she flipped her off. They’d never hated each other. Not really.

And Eugene… she pulled the set of playing cards she’d been carrying around all day out of her back pocket. He’d had a poker problem for sure, but he’d been kind, and the wisest person she knew. Ellie couldn’t imagine going out from old age; not the way her life was turning out. 

Nora, Eugene, and Sarah.

Her parents and Riley.

Abby and Lev.

If she’d have just forgiven Sarah a month, a week, a day sooner, they would’ve had more time. The second chance she’d been so close to getting had been ripped away, and it was all because of her. Because of who she was in her bones.

A phantom.

Maybe Abby was right.

She shook her head and shoved the cigarette between her teeth to light it. She felt like a lost and found box, carrying what everyone else had left behind. Riley’s ring, Eugene’s cards, the ghost of Sarah’s hand on her shoulder, the lost second chance.

She closed her eyes and took a deep drag, trying to hold it in as long as possible, making her eyes water and her lungs constrict.

_“Okay- so you know how to ride a Yamaha, but can’t ride a bicycle?”_

_“Sarah, come on. You know how busy dad is.”_

_“What kind of seventeen-year-old can’t ride a bike?”_

_“This one,” she smirked._

_A week later, Ellie was clutching onto Sarah’s arms for dear life as she peddled down their street for the first time._

_“I hate this!” she said, continuing to peddle anyways as Sarah ran by her side._

_“Only because you’re scared,” Sarah shouted beside her, let go of that and you’ll be free.”_

_“What?” Ellie glanced at her in panic._

_“I’m letting go- you’ll be okay.”_

_“I won’t,” she shook her head._

_“You will,” Sarah smiled_. 

Ellie grit her teeth and swiped at her eyes, looking out into the dark parking lot.

“Didn’t know you were a smoker,” a voice said.

She glanced towards the approaching figure, and realized it was Firefly.

She shrugged, and went back to staring into the night as he leaned against the wall beside her. Ellie offered him the pack, and he grabbed a cigarette with a muffled thanks.

“The Old Man’s gone soft,” Firefly said after taking a drag, “But I haven’t. He needs to pay for his crimes. Tal and Jesse are injured, Sarah…”

Ellie frowned and looked over at Dina’s dad, “What are you trying to say?”

He let out a puff of smoke and turned to her.

“I’ll tell you where Owen is. If you kill him for me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now that the chapters or starting to run longer, I think I'm going to stick to this update once a week schedule I've started. There should be a new chapter every Thursday or Friday. 
> 
> Wow! So this chapter was really sad to write, but also really fulfilling because I got to show Sarah and Ellie before she had to leave for the Phantoms, and got to show them bonding a little bit before she died. 
> 
> As for Joel and Ellie's argument, I drew from both their fight in TLOU2 and their fight in the first game when Ellie runs off because she thinks Joel is dumping her with Tommy. Similarly, I drew a little bit from Abby and Ellie's in game fight, which is why Ellie says "Just take him." 
> 
> Please let me know what you think, and as always thank you so much for reading, the kudos, and the comments!! 
> 
> Hope everyone is doing well and staying safe❤️


	25. I don’t plan on dying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellie sees the empty spaces that people left behind
> 
> See end chapter notes for why this update is late!

Ellie chewed on her lip as she stared at the burger patty sizzling on the grill; her Tommy’s hat was pulled low over her face to hide the black eye Abby’s punch to the nose had given her.

She glanced away to pull the net out of the frier, and then went back to flip the burgers. Ellie didn’t feel like whistling, or listening to ACDC, or anything, really. So she focused on not burning the burgers, on cleaning the griddle the way Abby always liked, on _everything_ other than the empty spaces around her.

“Order up,” she called, sliding a plate of food out of the kitchen slot.

“Thanks, hon,” the new waitress, Mel, said with a smile before whisking it away.

Ellie sighed and glanced at the next order ticket pinned to the wall: grilled cheese and chili. A pad of butter and two slices of bread later, she was back in her spot, spatula ready to flip the food. She was the picture of efficiency, something she’d never thought she’d try, or even care to be.

But it was the only thing that quieted the voices in her head telling her she was a fraud, a monster. That she may not have pulled the trigger, or driven them away, but she might as well have.

_Phantom._

She slapped the slice of cheddar on the bread, and squeezed her eyes shut.

Lev used to have this game they’d play when shifts felt unbearably long like this one.

_“See that lady over there?” Lev asked, a sly smile forming._

_Ellie ducked to see out of the little window where he’d nudged his head._

_“Yeah…”_

_“Who do you think she is?”_

_“What do you mean?” Ellie asked, returning to assembling the burger she was working on._

_“I bet a dollar she’s got six cats and works at the library.”_

_“Wow, a whole dollar?” Ellie chuckled, sliding the plate out of the slot with a flourish as Lev rolled his eyes._

_“Alright, alright…” Ellie studied the woman for a moment. She may have been dressed like she worked in a library with her loafers and pastel pink cardigan, but her shoulders and biceps bulged against the fabric._

_“Construction worker or body builder with a day job_.”

_“You’re on,” Lev grinned and took the food._

Ellie smiled a little at the memory of winning the bet and called for Mel again.

“Who’s that guy you’re serving?” Ellie asked halfheartedly as the waitress walked up after some difficulty squeezing her baby bump past the cashier.

“Dunno, some asshole,” Mel answered with a shrug, “You okay?”

Ellie quickly composed herself, “Yeah, sorry- uh, chili,” she said in a jumble and rushed over to the stove to give the bubbling food a stir.

“Break,” she called out to no one in particular, and sped walked through the hallway to the back exit as her breath hitched in her throat.

With shaking hands, she pulled the pack of cigarettes from her back pocket where it had been nestled beside her switchblade. It was ironic really, how she was now carrying around two things that could kill, but it didn’t make her feel any safer.

She just felt cripplingly small.

Ellie blew out a puff of smoke and scuffed her shoes against the gravel. Abby was right, Sarah would hate who she was becoming, but how do you change something that’s inevitable? There she was smoking and angry, but this was… well, her. You can’t change the essence of a person, she understood that now.

_Phantom._

As much as she hated it, everything made sense. Her anger, the fact that the second people started associating themselves with her bad things happened… it was only a matter of time really, before her inner Phantom started outweighing whatever it was Joel had tried to make her instead.

Ellie looked up and she swore it was like Abby was there in real time, she felt so real.

_“How many people did you manage to give food poisoning to today, Miller Lite?”_

_“Not enough- there was this Scorp giving Tommy a hard time.”_

_“Wanna fuck them up after I get off?” Abby smirked, pulling her apron over her head as she walked up the steps._

_Ellie grinned, “Yeah, I do.”_

“Hey,” A voice called, “Your shift’s up.”

“Yeah, Ab-” she glanced at the head poking out of the doorway, the other new employee Tommy had hired.

“Sorry,” She rubbed her forehead, “Yeah I’ll sign out in a minute, I was just finishing up.”

With a nod, he was gone again, but Ellie looked away from the spot Abby had stood in a year ago, and instead stared at the cast on her arm. Her eyes lingered on the family of dinosaurs Dina had drawn across the top, all smiling, oblivious to what was happening. Or maybe they weren’t; maybe they knew, but were choosing to be happy.

Sarah had been wrong; you can’t _choose_ to be anything... at least she Ellie couldn’t. And maybe in some messed up way she didn’t want to, because nothing would ever be the same again. With anyone.

Ellie dropped the cigarette to the ground and stomped it out before walking back in, untying her apron as she made her way down the hall.

When she reached Tommy’s open office, she knocked on the doorframe before swinging in, half expecting to see him conked out.

Instead, she found him and Maria on opposite sides of the desk exchanging low whispers. They both looked up when they saw her.

“Hey,” she said, offering a small smile.

“Ellie,” Maria stood up and gathered Ellie in her arms. It was almost enough to make Ellie want to tear herself away from the tenderness. This was her fault, her-

“Why do you smell like an ash tray?” Maria crinkled her nose, pulling away.

“So, are you two… you know?” Ellie wiggled her eyebrows up and down suggestively in an attempt to change the subject.

Tommy coughed loudly, but Maria remained stoic, “Now you know that’s none of your business. I thought you dropped smoking.”

Ellie shrugged and looked over at Tommy, “I’m heading out. Can I uh,” She glanced at Maria, “Can I crash at yours again?”

“Actually Ellie,” Tommy cleared his throat after exchanging a look with Maria, “We were talking…” he trailed off.

“We were talking about you,” Maria picked up with a roll of her eyes, “And we- _I_ ,” she amended, “Think you should go back home.”

“What? Why?”

“ _Ellie,_ ” Maria gave Tommy a hard stare, “It’s just what’s best.”

“You going to let her tell you what to do?” Ellie winced at how loud her voice rose, but she didn’t back down.

Tommy chuckled nervously, “This some kind of trap or somethin? You two in kahoots?”

Neither Ellie nor Maria laughed.

“Ellie-” Maria started.

“No,” she backed away, “You’re just as bad as Joel. Both of you are. You could’ve told me, could’ve-”

“You need to calm down,” Maria said, holding her hands out in what was supposed to be a gesture of peace.

But Ellie didn’t want to; she was so, so tired of people treating her like she needed to be safe guarded, like she was their property.

“I don’t need you anyways,” she spat at her uncle and the closest person she’d ever had to a mother.

Tommy and Maria exchanged a look, and spoke at the same time.

“You don’t mean that” he said, as Maria asked, “Where’s your Rattlers jacket?”

“I don’t need _anyone_ ,” she said with finality, and walked out of the office.

…

_“Everyone I’ve cared for has either died or left me…”_

Ellie’s words had been ringing through Dina’s mind for the past week as things slowly went back to normal, or as normal as they could be given their situation. Talia said to just give it time, but wasn’t what had happened proof enough that time wasn’t something that could be counted on?

Just take Sarah: if Joel had gotten there twenty minutes, ten minutes, hell maybe even a second earlier, things may have ended up different. But the reverse could be said too. A couple minutes later and Talia would’ve been added to the pile of body bags.

Ellie had screamed when they’d entered that room. It had been an agonizing guttural sound, as if it was _her_ experiencing the pain her sister had felt in that room. Maybe she had.

“Dina, did you hear a word I said?”

She looked up from her clipboard at Coach Tess apologetically, “No, sorry.”

“I hate to do this so soon, but we need to find a new left winger. Regionals are in two months, and we need a sub for Richardson, she can’t play the whole game with Nora… well you know.”

“Right,” Dina nodded, glancing out the office window as Wolves started arriving for practice.

“Could you have some flyers out by the end of the week?”

“Of course,” she said, only half listening as she waited for her girlfriend to walk through the entrance in vain. Worrying was in her blood, and as the hockey players joked around downstairs Dina grew restless.

“Any idea when Miller’s getting that cast off? It’s okay for practice, but she can’t have it out on the ice in a real game.”

“No,” Dina shook her head, “I’ll ask her.”

It was hard to focus on getting the practice equipment set up when there was still no sign of Ellie, but Dina forced herself to set out the extra hockey sticks and bottles of water and Gatorade.

Before long the team was on the ice, running the warmup drills Tess called out in sync. After what felt like an eternity, the double doored entrance slid open, and Ellie ducked inside. Her cheeks were pink from the cold, and she was visibly slouching as she walked towards the locker rooms.

Tess wore a stern expression but gave a small nod, giving Dina permission to go.

Dina dropped the clipboard she was holding on the bench and jogged between the bleachers towards the locker room, pausing before walking through the door.

She heard the thunk of a bag hitting the tile, and a zipper being pulled open as she walked down the rows of lockers and stopped right before she reached Ellie’s.

“Hey.”

Ellie froze in the middle of tugging off her hoodie but said nothing.

“Tess wants to know when your cast can come off.”

“I’m not a doctor, so…”

“You weren’t in class today,” Dina tried again, watching as Ellie wrestled her jeans from around her ankles.

No response.

Ellie moved on to pulling on compression shorts and then sat down at the bench to strap on her knee pads.

“We can go somewhere after, I could give you my notes.”

Ellie shot her a glare as she pulled a strap tight, “I don’t want your notes, Dina.”

“Well then how-”

“Do you not get it?” Ellie snapped, “I don’t want your help.”

“ _Hey_ -” Dina’s tone shifted dangerously, “I am _not_ Joel.”

“Whatever,” Ellie scoffed, pulling her jersey over her head.

“We should talk.”

“About what, _Dina_?”

About nothing, about everything, she didn’t care because anything was better than _this_. She hated the way Ellie said her name now, like a weapon.

But she had to be stern, it was the only way to get through when Ellie got this way.

“You know what I’m talking about.”

Ellie finally met her eyes and they were an icy green, “I don’t think I do.”

Dina knew this was coming, had prepared herself, but it was different now that it was actually happening.

“I was worried about you,” Dina sighed, switching her approach.

“You shouldn’t have,” Ellie said, a small flash of guilt crossing her face as she moved on to lacing up her skates, “I’m fine.”

“You’re not,” Dina blurted.

“I am!” Ellie yelled, slamming her skate back to the ground.

Dina had crossed a line, and she knew it.

“Then talk to me, please,” Dina pleaded, “I need to know what’s going on in that head of yours.”

Ellie stood up swiftly, a glazed look in her eyes.

“I need to finish it.”

“What?” Dina frowned, “Babe, what are you talking about?”

“They took everything away from me. My sister, my friends…” Ellie winced; she couldn’t even go to work without seeing Abby’s and Lev’s ghosts, let alone the hockey rink without seeing Nora’s. She’d been circling the building for thirty minutes absolutely dreading the moment she had to enter.

Ellie felt physically sick being there while Nora wasn’t.

“Either you’re with me or you’re against me.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Dina asked, “you’re not… you can’t possibly be thinking about going after you _promised_ Joel you’d stay.”

“Well a lot of people promised me a lot of things, and look where that got me.”

Dina flinched, and something flashed across Ellie’s face, “I’m not giving myself up if that’s what you’re thinking. No, I’m going to kill every. Last. One of them.”

Was that supposed to make Dina feel better somehow? Sure, Ellie wasn’t going to join the Phantoms, she was only going to commit mass homicide instead. SO much better.

“Did you already start? Is that why you’re late today? I thought something happened to you,” Dina whispered.

Ellie opened her mouth, but closed it again, eyes wide. There it was, that panicked look that made her look like a cornered wild animal.

“So, what?” Dina continued, on a roll now, “I’m just supposed to sit here and wait for you, for god knows how long just thinking you’re fucking _dead_ the entire time?”

“I don’t plan on dying,” Ellie said, her voice becoming robotic. Rehearsed.

“Yeah, well neither did Nora,” Dina couldn’t stop the next words that came out of her mouth, “Or Sarah.”

At the last name, Ellie staggered back as if Dina had hit her, and backed away, an empty look Dina had never seen before in her eyes.

“Hey, stop,” Dina said, as Ellie began to collect her things, tossing her skates back in her gear bag and pulling on her sneakers.

“Hey, come on, hey-” she managed to catch Ellie’s chin and pull bruised green eyes to brown before she could zip her bag.

Ellie sniffed and pulled away, zipping her bag and pulling it over her shoulder in one motion. Dina willed herself not to cry, but the tears prickled at her eyes anyway as Ellie walked past her and towards the door.

“The sun,” Dina said loudly, in one last attempt to make her stay, “I love you like the sun.”

Ellie froze in the doorway, and Dina didn’t have to see her face to know she was wrestling with herself, trying to get the good to outweigh the revenge that had festered its way into her bones.

The fight didn’t last long, and her feet were moving again, away from Dina.

When Ellie made it outside, she pulled out her phone and dialed the number she’d been given on the day of the funeral.

“Hello?” a deep voice answered on the second ring.

“Hey,” she said, glancing over her shoulder, “I’m in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm so sorry I'm posting this a day late! It's pretty ironic that once I actually make a schedule I miss a day. This week I didn't have as much time to write because some problems came up with the internship I'm supposed to be doing this semester, and I had to work with my academic advisor to get a new one. I had the chapter finished last night, but just couldn't put it out since it needed to be edited, I'm sorry! 
> 
> So, as you could probably tell, the fight between Ellie and Dina is very similar to the one they have towards the end of the game when Ellie leaves for Santa Barbara. I just want to clarify this in no way means we're getting close to the end of this story, there's still SO much left to go. Let me know what you think!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and for all of the comments you guys leave! I'm going to try my best to stick to this schedule, but sometimes I may have to post on the weekend instead if something pops up like it did this week. 
> 
> I hope everyone's doing well! ❤️


	26. All the Promises at Sundown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *sweats*

“Where the hell is Ellie?” Joel thundered, hands on his hips as he watched the group of seconds in front of him: Jesse, Dina, and newly appointed Talia.

All three remained silent, and Joel stopped pacing to glare at them each individually.

“Hey,” Talia crossed her arms, “Firefly’s not here anyway, so…”

“Firefly ain’t my daughter.”

“According to Ellie, she’s not either.”

“ _Tal_ ,” Dina hissed, stepping on her sister’s foot under the table.

“What? Her words, not mine- it’s not like we all didn’t hear them.”

“That doesn’t mean you should-”

“She’s not wearing her jacket anymore,” Jesse interrupted loudly, glancing at everyone around the room, “That puts a target on her back.”

Dina frowned, “Wouldn’t that actually be better though? If the Phantoms know she’s one of us…”

“That damned tattoo,” Joel growled in frustration, “I don’t know how much Owen told the King, but if they now about it and she doesn’t have it covered... Dina, I thought you gave the jacket back to her for me.”

“I did,” she replied awkwardly. 

“I think it’s pretty obvious why she’s not wearing it,” Talia said, crossing her arms. Dina frowned and glanced over at her sister; why was she being so aggressive towards Joel lately? They hadn’t known any of the people who’d died because of him well, and it wasn’t a secret Talia wasn’t the biggest Ellie fan, so that left…

Sarah.

But that conversation would need to happen later as Jesse’s words finally sank in.

“Wait, you’ve seen Ellie recently? I haven’t seen her since…” their fight three days ago. 

“Are you tellin’ me-” Joel started pacing the room, “That no one in this room has seen her in _three days_?”

“I literally _just_ -” Jesse started, but was interrupted by Talia.

“Aren’t _you_ the one that should know where she is? You made it very clear that murdering her parents makes you her father.”

“Jesus, Talia,” Dina glared over at her sister, “Cool it.”

“No,” she stood up, “Do you know what she was planning?” Talia didn’t wait for Joel to answer, “She had it all figured out- we were going to leave with them, start over in Santa Barbara.”

Dina looked up at her sister, “We?”

“Me, you, Ellie. Sarah had a plan, was talking with Abby…” Talia turned her attention back to Joel, “We actually had a chance at a normal life, and you took that from us. It should’ve been _you_ that died for your sins, but it was her. And now everything is so. Much. Worse.”

Joel didn’t move, didn’t say anything as Talia stormed out. Before, he would’ve yelled, punished, maybe even killed for being talked to like that. But instead, he only slumped his shoulders and clutched the broken watch still strapped to his watch.

“Jesse, you said you’ve seen Ellie?” Joel asked after a moment of awkward silence. 

“Yeah,” he cleared his throat, “yes.”

“Tommy,” Joel said, “was she hanging around Tommy? I swear if my brother is interfering again after I had Maria-”

“Not that I know of- I’ve been driving her around Jackson. Firefly’s orders,” he added as an afterthought. 

“Why,” Dina looked between Joel and Jesse, “Would my dad want you to drive her around?”

…

Ellie glared at Firefly across the foldout card table, as he flicked through the papers in a manilla folder and occasionally set one down.

“Cigar?”

“I’m good,” she grimaced, watching as thick smoke curled from his mouth as he spoke.

He shrugged glancing at the cheap cigarette between Ellie’s fingers, “Suit yourself.”

“Look,” Ellie said, putting hers out in the ashtray and crossing her arms, “Firefly, I-”

“Jacob,” he said, looking up from the papers he was arranging on the table, “Call me Jacob.”

“ _Jacob_ ,” she corrected, “It’s been three days. I don’t know what your game is, but our deal was-”

“You know why I named my daughter Dina?”

“What?” Ellie felt a wave of guilt at the mention of her girlfriend’s name. Or ex-girlfriend. She didn’t know anymore.

“Dina. You know why I gave her that name?”

“No,” Ellie replied shortly.

“In the Bible, Jacob,” he winked, thinking he was clever, “Had twelve sons, and one daughter. Dinah.”

“You’ve only got two daughters.”

“But one heir,” Jacob said, “And now thanks to you, thanks to our ‘union’ of sorts, she will rule two kingdoms.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“That me and you,” Jacob took another puff of smoke, “Are the same. Looked over, pushed aside.”

“You were _literally_ the leader of the Scorps.”

Jacob chuckled, “And you think I always was? I had a brother once, just like you had Sarah. He was older, stronger, smarter. Everything I wasn’t.”

Ellie glanced away, “He die to protect you too?”

“No. I killed him.”

Ellie’s eyes locked with his in shock, but he only continued, “You’ll learn soon enough that sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the greater good.”

“We are _not_ the same,” she spat. 

“Dina,” he said switching tracks, “She’s the link between you and I. If she were to represent the last of us humans, we’d be in good hands. We have to keep her safe, yes?”

Ellie frowned, but nodded.

“I’m glad we’re in agreement.”

Over each sheet of paper, Jacob placed a single photo, slowly, deliberately.

“You’ve been watching these people for me for the past few days, and I thank you. I know that wasn’t the original deal, but it’s been crucial. You see, I understand you now, Ellie. I know how you operate.”

“The hell is that supposed to mean?”

“You’re afraid of being alone. An understandable fear given your past, but a weakness. The truth is, all of these people pose a threat.”

Ellie glanced at the faces in the pictures and read the names underneath. Leah, Jordan, Cat- her heart rate skipped a beat as she leaned forward to get a better look at the photo. Was that…?

“They’re a danger to you, to me, to your dear old dad. To Dina. Kill them.”

Ellie looked up, “ _Excuse me_?”

“Kill them, or risk everyone you love dying. Everyone that’s left, anyway.” 

“This wasn’t part of the deal,” Ellie said, starting to sweat as she looked at the files in between them, “You said Owen. That’s it. These people…” she glanced at the other five photos, “Some of them aren’t even Phantoms.”

“They need to be dealt with.” 

Mel, one of the new pictures was definitely Mel, the pregnant waitress she’d just started working with. The woman who called her honey, and offered her condolences even though she hadn’t even _known_ Sarah.

“But they have families, lives, I can’t- why would I-”

“Because they would do the same to you in a heartbeat.”

Ellie stood up, scraping the legs of her chair against the cement floor.

“I’m out.”

Firefly let Ellie get to the doorway before he reeled her back again.

“There is, of course, a second option. In which _I_ take care of these inconveniences instead, and you’ll just owe me a little debt in exchange for Owen’s location.”

“A debt?” Ellie whipped back around, “You told me that if I agreed to kill him for you, you’d tell me where he is. That’s what _you_ said.”

“The thing is,” Firefly sighed slowly, as if he were talking to a child, “You wouldn’t be killing him for _me_ , would you? You’d be killing him for your revenge, I have nothing to gain.”

He was right; but what Jacob didn’t know was that Ellie had never killed someone before. Despite what she’d told Dina, despite the fact that she’d fought one of her best friends in an attempt to get his location, despite that she was a Phantom. She’d beaten up Scorps, even shot a few, but never in the right spots to kill. She’d always made sure of that.

But Owen… Owen deserved it for what he’d done.

“I don’t have any money, if that’s what you want,” she said after a moment, fully facing Jacob once more. 

“No worries,” he smiled, “Money isn’t what I had in mind.”

…

“When did this taxi driver service start between you two?” Joel glowered.

“Soccer mom,” Jesse corrected.

“What?” Joel snapped.

“Soc- never mind. I don’t know, really…” Jesse picked at his eyebrow ring, “Maybe a day after the funeral? Firefly told me to drive her around, no questions, so that’s what I’ve been doing.”

“And you didn’t think to tell me?”

“No offence or anything” Jesse said nervously, “But I’m _Firefly’s_ second, not yours.”

“Number one, Firefly and I are both your boss- it don’t matter who appointed who. And two: When it comes to Ellie, you come to me, understand?”

Jesse glanced between both Dina and Joel before finally nodding. “Yeah, alright old man.”

“Now why,” Joel muttered, “Would Firefly want to have her driven around for jobs without tellin me, and why ain’t she using her bike?”

“She can’t ride Shimmer,” Dina said quietly.

“Did she get into a wreck and no one told me that either?!”

“No,” she swallowed, “Ellie hasn’t been able to get on a bike since that night… she starts shaking, screaming like-”

“When she saw…” the name Sarah remained unspoken and Joel rubbed his forehead, “Anything else I should know?  


“She said she’d kill them,” Dina said, “that she’d kill all of them.”

…

Ellie stared at the address Jacob had scribbled on the back of a photo, and she flipped it over to see Owen and Abby smiling up at her.

_“Get a room,” Ellie groaned as she sat across form Owen and Abby at a booth in the bar._

_“Did you hear something?” Owen smirked, pulling away from Abby, who grinned and shook her head._

_“Nope,” she grinned and kissed Owen again._

_“I’m gonna be sick,” Ellie groaned into her hand, and Lev, who was trying incredibly hard to hold in his laughs, snorted._

_Abby shot them a glance from the corner of her eye, and pulled away again._

_“Alright, alright,” she smirked and turned so she was facing forward again_ , “let’s give the kids a break.”

_“So…” Owen took a sip of his drink, and shot a look across the bar at Sarah, “She’s back, huh?”_

_“Yup,” Ellie glared in Sarah’s direction, “And everyone’s acting like nothing happened. She’s a traitor.”_

_“Maybe,” Owen shrugged, “But I wouldn’t be too hard on her._

_Ellie snorted, “That’s rich coming from you. Joel’s literally sent you out to ‘take care of’ Vipes who tried to cross him. How’s she any different?”_

_“Listen Miller Lite,” Owen sat forward, “Sometimes… sometimes people do things that... well, everything becomes clear eventually. Perspective and all that jazz,” he said, returning to his usual joking demeanor._

Ellie sighed and tugged at the padlock she hadn’t bothered to close at the door to the storage garage she’d been staying in. It was Joel’s personal one, so she knew no one would be caught dead snooping around. 

She kicked the door shut and pulled the lightbulb string attached to the ceiling, dropping her backpack on the ground. The small space was full of storage boxes, wood carvings, and now, Ellie’s hockey gear.

As quickly as she could, Ellie dumped her backpack, which was full of the beef jerky she’d swiped from the school rec center, and replaced it with ammo, her revolver, and at the last minute, the journal she’d never removed from her bag.

In the process of zipping up, she noticed something she hadn’t before in the far corner.

She dropped what she was doing and squatted down to examine a familiar guitar case. With a click Ellie pulled the clamps up to find the deep brown Taylor guitar Joel had played at her party staring up at her, the moth inlay silver in the dim lighting.

Ellie pursed her lips, but pulled the guitar out and sat with it on her sleeping bag.

She absentmindedly began to strum, but it was only a matter of seconds before her fingers started forming the chords to the song she and Joel had played so many times.

_“You know, there is a such thing as over-playing Pearl Jam, right?” Sarah rolled her eyes from across the living room._

_“This here is classic music, baby girl,” Joel said loudly, going back to strumming Future Days._

_“Classic music my ass,” Sarah laughed, turning the page in her book._

_“Joel!” a shout came from downstairs, and he sighed, setting the guitar in Ellie’s hands._

_“Be right back.”_

_Ellie poked her tongue out of the corner of her mouth as she concentrated on forming the different chords and pick the strings at the same time._

_“Starting to sound like something,” Sarah said over her book._

_“Ugh, I suck.”_

_“Nah,” Sarah sat up, putting her book down, “you just need to build up your callouses, that’s all… here-”_

_She reached her hand out, and Ellie handed her the guitar and watched Sarah pick the pattern with ease._

_Sarah began to hum to the melody, and then began to sing, meeting Ellie’s eyes with a soft smile._

_“If I ever were to lose you… I’d surely lose myself.”_

_“Well,” Ellie looked away, a little embarrassed at the honesty in the lyrics, “That didn’t suck.”_

_“I’ll take what I can get,” Sarah shook her head, and began to pick the melody again, that time faster._

_“Okay, now you’re just showing off,” Ellie scoffed._

_“Maybe,” Sarah smirked, resting her chin on the guitar._

Ellie scrunched her nose as she tried picking the strings, but only got through two notes before her cast got in the way and scraped against the wood, leaving a shallow scratch in the guitar’s body.

“ _Damn it_ ,” she hissed, thumping her fist on the small cot she was sitting on. She destroyed everything.

Ellie stared at the pink cast and felt the urge to rip it off. She didn’t need it, couldn’t be fixed, and even if she could, she didn’t deserve it. Not when Sarah would never be able to be. 

Ellie practically threw the guitar into the case, grabbed a bucket sitting on a shelf, and stormed outside to the water hose. After impatiently waiting for the bucket to fill up, she dunked her cast in the water over and over again, ripping at the plaster until her fingertips were sore, and her arm free.

With a shaking hand she wiped underneath her eyes and returned to the garage to get the rest of her things. Ellie slid her backpack across her shoulders, her hockey stick in the straps on the side, and her revolver in the waistband of her jeans.

She clenched and unclenched her fist, trying out her right hand, and her eyes traveled to her left wrist, where Dina’s bracelet was tied. She grit her teeth and tugged it off, letting it fall to the floor as she walked out.

“I don’t believe in luck,” she muttered. 

…

“I’m goin to Tommy’s, see if that fool has any idea what’s going on,” Joel said as they walked outside. 

“I know where Ellie’s been staying,” Jesse said, “Maybe she’s there.”

“She won’t be,” Joel shook his head, “Ellie… she ain’t thinking straight. When she’s angry bringing her down is near impossible.”

“Well she had a great teacher, didn’t she?” Dina spoke up, wincing at the harshness of her words. “We’ll find her, Joel.”

He looked between Dina and Jesse, sighed, and gave them a nod before mounting his bike and riding off.

“What now?” Jesse asked as they got into his car. Dina had to toss a plastic dinosaur JJ must’ve thrown up front to the backseat before sitting down.

“Same plan- maybe she left behind a clue.”

Jesse sighed as he started the engine and eased onto the road, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel.

“Jesse,” Dina said after a moment. There was no blaring music characteristic of when she usually drove with him, and his lips were pressed in a thin line.

“Hmmm?”

“You don’t have to do this.”

His frown grew deepened, “Do what?”

“If it’s… I don’t know, weird that you’re driving to look for your ex-girlfriend and son’s mother’s girlfriend in the middle of the night. We’d already been split for a year when we met Ellie, but if this makes you uncomfortable, or… I don’t know-”

“D.”

“I just don’t want you to feel obligated to come, that’s all.”

“ _Dina_ ,” Jesse placed his hand over hers, “You and Ellie… you’re my best friends.”

A small smiled flickered across her face, and she was about to protest again when Jesse spoke. 

“And besides- my friend’s problems are my problems.”

They drove the rest of the way in silence, but Jesse continued to hold Dina’s hand until they pulled up to the garage. If it was to reassure himself, or Dina, he wasn’t sure.

“Is this a _shed_?”

Jesse winced, “Pretty much.”

The gravel crunched under their feet as they shined flashlights around in the dark, looking for any signs of life.

“What the hell is that?” Dina muttered.

They both walked over to a bucket; the ground around it was wet, and pink shreds and strips of cotton were floating at the bottom.

“ _Shit_ , that’s her cast- Jesse, help me get this door open,” she said, jogging towards the entrance.

Dina groaned at the sight of the padlock, but Jesse only pulled at it and smirked when the lock fell to the ground.

Dina gaped at him, but he only shrugged, “Ellie never locks anything up. You see D, it’s important to really know your children, and my daughter? She’s lazy as hell.”

“Okay, soccer mom,” Dina rolled her eyes and reached up to switch the light on.

The space was tiny, definitely not meant to be lived in. There was a giant pile of beef jerky on the ground, and Ellie’s hockey bag in a corner. Dina continued to survey the floor but froze when she spotted her bracelet.

“Dina.”

She carefully picked up the Hamsa, her thumb rubbing against the eye in the center.

“ _Dina_.”

She finally looked up to see Jesse holding a polaroid. 

“I know where she is.”

…

Ellie wrung her hands as she stood outside of the public library. The place was locked tight, and there was a pulldown similar to a garage door in front of the entrance so the glass doors couldn’t be broken.

It didn’t take her long to make her way around the building and plot her entrance. As slowly as she could, Ellie slid a dumpster to a window that was left unprotected because of its height, used her switchblade to break the seal and open it, and dropped down onto the carpeted floor soundlessly.

She’d checked and double checked, but as bizarre as it was, the address Owen was hiding out was the library of all places. She didn’t know he could read.

“Si, but lo siento, amigo. I only joined you to help Abby. I’m following her to Santa Barbara. You should come.”

What the hell was Manny doing there?

Ellie gripped her hockey stick tighter and crept forward as his voice grew closer.

“Well, if you ever need me, you know who to contact.”

That time, Ellie heard a muttered response, and she caught sight of Manny walking around the corner with a vague expression on his face.

She wasn’t there for him, she told herself, even though he was obviously fraternizing with the enemy. He was her friend, her _friend_. But she found her feet moving anyway, felt the hockey stick clip him in the back of the head, not hard enough to draw blood or do any real damage, but enough to knock him out and leave a killer headache when he woke up.

Ellie drug him to a more comfortable spot, refusing to look at his face, at his closed eyes, and crept in the direction he’d come from, spotting a glimmer of light coming from the floorboards.

She easily found a set of stairs and began her descent into the hidden basement, reaching for the revolver in her waistband. The closer she grew, the more she heard some sort of sitcom playing on a T.V.

And there he was; leaned back in a couch, feet up on a coffee table, facing away from her.

“Hands up,” Ellie said, circling around him and clicking the safety off.

“Miller Lite?” Owen’s face was purely shock, his eyes wide, mouth wide open.

“I said hands up,” she spat, already feeling herself losing control.

“Ellie,” he said softly, “hold on, we can talk about this.”

“She’s dead because of you,” she said, her vision going red.

“Come on,” he began to ease forward, hands out, “I didn’t kill Sarah. You know that- it’s Joel’s fault, remember? For lying.”

He took another step.

“Back the fuck up!” Ellie shouted, trying to steady her trembling hand as she pointed the gun at Owen’s head. 

“You _know_ me,” he said, trying desperately to distract her, “Remember?” He started dancing, just like he had that night everything changed; the night Ellie had learned that Dina was a Scorp.

“Shoot to thrill, play to kill, too many women with too many pills,” he began singing the ACDC song, “Shoot to thrill, play to kill, I got my gun at the ready, gonna fire at will, yeah…”

“You betrayed us for the Phantoms,” she cut him off and he stopped dancing.

“You _are_ a Phantom.”

“But I never betrayed the Vipers.”

“You know, if you’re going to go on some green arrow vigilante bullshit quest, why don’t you take another look at your Uncle Tommy.”

“What?” Ellie faltered exactly the way Owen predicted, and her gun lowered a few inches.

“Ask him,” he laughed, “The real reason he and Joel fought. The reason he and Maria divorced,” Owen inched a little closer, “The reason that tape was set up perfectly for you to find in your old house.”

Owen found his opening and Ellie reacted too late, her gun clattering to the ground as Owen’s fist clipped she side of her face.

She staggered back, reaching for the next closest weapon, her hockey stick, and swung it into his gut.

Owen grimaced and spat on the ground, lunging forward again. Ellie fell backwards, her back scraping along the cement floor, but she was on her feet again in seconds. This was the fight she’d been waiting for. If she won this, she’d feel okay again, Sarah would be avenged, everything would-

Her head snapped back, and she nearly fell again, her nose bleeding. If it was broken, she didn’t feel it, didn’t feel anything as Owen zeroed in.

“Ask him,” he panted, “Ask Tommy who he really is.”

Ellie screamed and ran towards him, hockey stick in front of her, and she brought it down on him, over, and over, and over, until he was lying on the ground, bruised, but still giving her that taunting look. Like he _knew_ she wouldn’t kill him.

She’d prove him wrong.

Ellie pinned his arms underneath her and pressed down on his esophagus, breathing hard, her own blood mixing with Owen’s on the floor.

“Ask him,” he wheezed.

Ellie squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to look at him.

_“Here,” Sarah said, handing the guitar back._

_“Oh? You’re done showing off now?” Ellie smirked._

_“Just play- go slow at first until you get the rhythm.”_

_Ellie sighed, “It’s gonna sound like ass.”_

_“It won’t,” Sarah shoved her shoulder lightly, and watched as Ellie picked at the strings, first slowly, then steadily faster._

_And Sarah began to sing._

_All the promises at sundown  
I've meant them like the rest  
All the demons used to come 'round  
I'm grateful now they've left_

_So persistent in my ways  
Hey angel, I am here to stay  
No resistance, no alarms  
Please, this is just too good to be gone_

Ellie opened her eyes as Owen’s began to lose life, but her sister’s singing continued to ring through her ears.

_I believe  
And I believe 'cause I can see  
Our future days  
Days of you and me_

What was she doing?

Ellie released her hold on Owen and he gasped for air underneath her.

She’d almost killed him.

_Killed him._

Ellie’s world tilted and suddenly it was _her_ who couldn’t breathe as Owen pressed down, but she wasn’t think about killing him, or what he’d said about Tommy. No, all she could think about was that her last words to Joel would be that she wasn’t his daughter. He had to know it was a lie, that out of all the things she was uncertain of, that fact had never been one of them.

And she hadn’t told Dina she loves her back. She’d just walked away. Sarah was right: Ellie was a runner, and look where that had gotten her.

Ellie felt herself slipping away as her vision grew black around the edges, but her hands were moving along the ground, searching for the gun she’d dropped.

She wanted to live, but it felt like everything was moving in slow motion. Like she was underwater, like maybe she was finally getting a glimpse of the ocean.

Is this what Sarah had felt like, in her last moments? Just… tired? Not wanting to be swept away by the tide with so much left unfinished, but not having the strength to keep swimming?

Her eyes drooped as her fingers closed around the revolver handle, and a gun shot went off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof that was a HUGE chapter. So as you could probably tell, for the flashbacks with Sarah, I drew from two scenes: the beginning of Ellie's birthday, and when Joel sings to Ellie. Since I essentially subbed Joel's death for Sarah's in this story, I needed to have scenes like that between them instead. And just like the end of the game, Ellie sees Sarah (instead of Joel) and that pulls her out of the cycle of revenge. 
> 
> Also!! I love Jesse and was so glad I got to fit in the "my friend's problems are my problems" line from the game. 
> 
> Please let me know what you think!! I'm super proud of how this chapter came out! 
> 
> Thank you for reading and the kudos and comments! See ya next week❤️


	27. Stairway to Heaven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Song- Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin

Ellie could feel it, the ocean.

The tide gently hitting her ankles, the rough sand beneath her feet, Sarah’s hand in her own. The air tasted of salt and every good memory as seagulls cawed and circled overhead.

_“Ellie.”_

“What’s up?” she glanced at Sarah, who was squinting through the sunlight.

“I didn’t say anything,” her sister frowned as the tide returned to wash up against their ankles.

Ellie shrugged it off and they continued walking, towards what, she wasn’t sure.

“Henry, watch it!” A kid called as he ran past, a frisbee in hand. From the corner of her eye, Ellie noticed Sarah give them a small wave, and turned to watch them.

“Those two- they’re Scorps.”

“Yeah,” Sarah said quietly, “They were.”

Something was nagging at the back of Ellie’s head, but she wasn’t sure what it was. They continued slowly walking the crowded shore, and Ellie began to recognize more and more faces; people she hadn’t seen in a very long time.

On the other side of the beach, music from a wooden kiosk drifted towards them.

_And if you listen very hard  
The tune will come to you at last  
When all is one and one is all, that's what it is  
To be a rock and not to roll, oh yeah_

“No,” Ellie whispered, letting go of Sarah’s hand to get a better look around. The people surrounding them, they were-

“Henry and Sam,” she said, eyeing Sarah, “Jesse’s friends- they’re… but they’re _dead_. These Vipes,” she caught the eye of a couple walking towards them and the man nodded at her in recognition, “Scorps,” her eyes found one of Jacob’s old seconds, “And Phantoms-” Ellie spotted Yara, and the last lyrics to the song drifted towards her.

_And she's buying a stairway to heaven_

“They’re dead… I’m-” her voice broke and she looked away from her sister’s killer, “Am I dead?”

“Well,” Sarah smiled sadly, “You’re here with me, so…”

Ellie took a shaky breath, and looked over at Yara again. She was playing beach volleyball with a bunch of Phantoms. She looked happy.

Ellie’s fists clenched at her side, but she didn’t lunge towards her like the old Ellie, the version of herself she’d just shed, would have done. Instead, she just watched. 

“I don’t blame her,” Sarah said, noticing where Ellie was looking. “Good people do messed up shit all the time- look at what _you_ almost did.”

“You…” Ellie kicked at the sand, “You know about that?”

“I also know you’ve been smoking a pack a day,” Sarah shoved her lightly, “How many times have I told you? Those things will kill you- death in a stick.”

“Well,” Ellie sighed, and they started walking again, “Guess you don’t have to worry about that anymore.”

“Yeah,” Sarah glanced over at her, “I guess not.”

There was a moment of silence before she spoke again, “I’m proud of you though, for ending the cycle. If we had been reversed, if it would’ve been you… I would’ve killed him. I would’ve killed _all of them_.”

“I wanted to. But I didn’t- you stopped me.” Sarah frowned, so she continued, “I had him. I was so close,” she squeezed her eyes shut, “But then I remembered you, you know- before everything. Riley, and the Phantoms, and I just… it would mean you died for nothing, because killing him…” Ellie rubbed at her eyes, “Killing him would’ve killed me too. The part of me that isn’t a Phantom- the part that’s good.”

“Seeing you would’ve just made me kill him slower,” Sarah shook her head, “I’m not like you, El. Joel isn’t either… that’s why we lied. And I _know_ ,” she raised her hands, “I know it was wrong. But…” she trailed off. Sarah had never been good with words, she’d gotten that from Joel, but Ellie deserved an explanation.

“Do you remember that day at the zoo?”

“Yeah,” Ellie tilted her in confusion, “Yeah, we saw giraffes. Abby and Lev were there too.”

“God, I still remember that look on your face when you got to feed them… Joel and I, we wanted to keep that for you as long as we could. Was it selfish? Maybe. But did it work? I’d say we succeeded.”

Ellie scoffed, thinking about everything she’d done, “Yeah, I don’t know about that.”

“That’s where you’re wrong- have you _seen_ the way you look at Dina? If I’m being honest, it’s actually kind of disgusting, watching you two-”

“Looked at,” Ellie corrected and groaned thinking back to their fight, “God, I’m such an asshole.”

“Maybe,” Sarah smiled, “But they’ll forgive you.”

“They won’t.”

“Dina and Joel have much more to be sorry for than being an ass, but you’ve forgiven _them_.”

“I’m trying to,” Ellie said, pushing her hands into her pockets.

“And that’s all anyone can do.”

“Hey, right winger!”

Ellie turned and spotted Nora coming towards them. She didn’t know what to do, how to act as her ghosts started talking to each other. Everything there felt so calm it almost felt like nothing at all, and she wasn’t sure if she should be relieved, or frightened. This wasn’t normal, watching two dead people converse, but there was nothing she could do but stand there and hope whatever this was turned out to be a really sick dream. That she wasn’t a ghost too.

“Looks like we died for nothing,” Nora said, smirking at Sarah, “Guess that’s what happens when you put your faith in Ellie Miller’s reckless- hey, I’m only joking,” she held out her hand, and hesitantly, Ellie shook it and squeezed.

Nora’s hand felt very solid in her own, and Ellie’s heart sank; whatever this was, it was happening. It was real. 

“I’m sorry.”

“Glad to finally get a real apology out of you- do you know how many times I missed a killer slapshot because you didn’t pass me the puck in time?”

“No, I’m serious,” Ellie said, hugging her arms around herself, “I’m sorry.”

The Left Winger offered a small smile as she backed away, “I know you would’ve done the same.”

She would’ve.

“See you around. Asshat.”

“See you,” Ellie said softly, her eyes widening as she came to a realization. “If everyone’s here… Riley. I need to find her.”

“El, wait-” Sarah tried to grab her arm, but Ellie was already darting towards the crowd, scanning the faces.

“Riley Abel,” Ellie panted detaching herself from the woman she’d run face first into, “Where is she?”

“Who?”

“Riley- she’s a little shorter than me, brown eyes, dark skin, have you seen her?”

“Why don’t you go up to the check in sheet?” She pointed towards the kiosk in the distance, “Might find her there.”

“ _Ellie_!”

“What?”

She whipped around, but no one was even looking in her direction. She rubbed the back of her neck in discomfort and began walking towards where the woman had pointed, no longer preoccupied by the sight of the ocean. Ellie had one goal, to get to the sign-in sheet, and she didn’t stop, even as the voice calling her name became more persistent, more desperate.

_Your head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know  
The piper's calling you to join him  
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow, and did you know  
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind?_

Ellie placed one foot in front of the other as she made her way up the wooden stairs and ducked through the doorway when she reached the top.

“Miller Lite!”

Ellie staggered back, taking in the faces sitting around a card table:

Eugene.

Sarah.

Owen.

The music continued to play, and the feeling of discomfort settled deeper within. She wasn’t supposed to be here.

_And as we wind on down the road  
Our shadows taller than our soul  
There walks a lady we all know  
Who shines white light and wants to show  
How everything still turns to gold_

“No,” Ellie shook her head as she looked at Owen, “I let you live… I… I didn’t- how’d you get up here before me?” she asked suddenly, turning to her sister, “And where’s Riley?”

“What are you doing here, El?” Sarah asked, setting her hand of cards on the table and looking over at her.

“Where’s Riley?” she asked again.

“Not here,” Owen said, standing up. He looked different now, closer to the Owen she’d known a year ago, not the man she’d hit repeatedly with her hockey stick like some sort of domestic substitute for a metal pipe.

“Then where?”

“Hey-” he moved closer, but Ellie took a step back and he gave her a sad smile, “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

“Where the hell is she?” she looked wildly around the room, her eyes stopping at Eugene.

“ _Ellie!_ ” 

She winced, and Eugene narrowed his eyes, “You’re being called back, aren’t you?”

“I don’t even know what’s going on,” Ellie said frantically, “I didn’t kill you,” she stepped towards Owen and shoved him, nearly sending him toppling over, “I didn’t _want_ to kill you, we were friends, we-”

“Hey,” Owen grabbed her shoulders, “We _are_ friends, and I’m telling you to listen to your sister. Forget all the bullshit I said before- I don’t have anything left for me out there. But you do.”

Eugene cleared his throat, “You don’t have to do this- you _can_ stay, if you’d like, be done with the whole damn thing.”

Sarah whirled on him, “Are you kidding me? We’re talking about my sister’s _life_ here.”

“Which is exactly why it’s Ellie’s decision, whether she stays or goes.”

“Listen to me,” Sarah stood up so they were eye level, “After all we’ve been through. _Everything_ that I’ve done… it can’t be for nothing.”

“ _Ellie, wake up!_ ”

She winced, the voices becoming closer, louder, but continued to stand her ground.

“But I’m here now, I’m not going without you,” Ellie’s voice cracked, “I’m not- I can’t do this again.”

It was just Sarah and Ellie in the room, even though Owen and Eugene were still standing there.

“I’ve seen a lot of people die- more than you, even. And… I struggled with that for a long time with surviving… but no matter what, you keep finding something to fight for.”

Ellie stared at her sister, her heart hammering in her chest.

“Do it for me, El. For now, do it for me,” she touched Ellie’s cheek, “Then hopefully one day… one day you’ll live for yourself too.”

_And it's whispered that soon, if we all call the tune  
Then the piper will lead us to reason  
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long  
And the forests will echo with laughter  
Remember laughter?_

…

_And she's buying a stairway to heaven_

Ellie opened her eyes and immediately curled in on herself as she took a rattling breath in.

“Dios mio, Miller,” Manny said in rapid Spanish, “Pensaba que… I thought you were dead.”

Ellie winced as she sat up, rubbing her bruised neck, “I think I was.”

Her voice felt raw, but strong, but she nearly collapsed again when she spotted Owen. 

“Shit,” Ellie let out a breath, “I didn’t mean to- I wanted to let him go, I-” her voice broke as she slid his staring eyes shut.

“Ellie,” Manny squatted next to her and grabbed her shoulder, “It was me- He was killing you, and after everything he’s done… Let’s just say I didn’t question who to shoot.”

She sat back on her heels wiping the blood away from her face as the Owen she’d just seen flashed in front of her eyes. Earnest, sincere, okay… wherever he was.

For her entire life, Ellie had never believed in luck, or the universe, or God, even though Joel and Sarah had. But this… the knowledge that somewhere out there the people she’d lost… Sarah, Nora, Owen, Eugene, Riley… and even the people she’d hated, like Yara- to know that they were okay somehow made her want to. 

“Thanks for saving me.”

She forced herself to look away from Owen’s body, and focus on Manny again, who was rubbing the bump on the back of his head.

“Sorry about that…”

“You’re lucky you stealthed me, otherwise you wouldn’t be much better off than him.”

“Oh, come on, you’re a terrible shot,” she said, standing up. 

“Say it again.”

“You,” Ellie met his eyes, “Are a _terrible_ shot.”

Manny snorted and accepted the hand she offered him and got to his feet.

“What’s gotten into you, Miller? I haven’t’ seen you like this since… well, in a really long time.”

“Adrenaline? I did die- or almost die,” she said, her forehead creasing.

Manny nodded as they began walking out, “I’ll call Maria to get a cleanup team here before I head out.”

“Where are you going?”

He closed the basement door behind him and rubbed his beard, “The Old Man can’t know.”

“Okay,” she shrugged.

Manny nodded, “Ever since…”

“You can say her name.”

He nodded again, “Ever since Sarah, Joel’s had his guard down. I mean- I half expected it to be _him_ down there fighting Owen…”

He was right; Revenge used to be Joel’s forte. Now he was more hesitant, more… her eyes widened. He was more conscious of his decisions, of the repercussions of his actions. Every bad thing that had happened was because of one lie he’d told seventeen years ago.

Joel was trying. He was trying to be better.

“But instead, you found me.”

“I found you,” Manny nodded. “I came here because I was trying to get him to come out to Santa Barbara with us while Joel’s turning a blind eye.”

“Abby and Lev.”

“Yeah,” he grinned, “They’re getting a place set up there. She already landed a job and found a cheap apartment until we can save up enough for a bigger place.”

“She’ll lose it when she finds out Owen’s dead.”

“Not when she hears he was trying to kill _you_ ,” he hesitated before speaking again, “Look El… we’ve got an extra spot on the couch, and once we all have jobs, we might really be able to make something out of this. Come with me.”

“And replace Owen?” she shook her head.

He sighed, “Owen was never going to come- Abby didn’t even want me to ask, but I had to try. You know what he told me? He said he doesn’t want to fight anymore, and that the Phantoms… well, with them it’s easy to not question if all of this is wrong.”

“What? The people dying, the Vaccine?”

“All of it,” Manny said, “He was weak, and that’s what this biker stuff does to you. You stop caring. So I’m getting out, before this whole city is crawling into demons, or worse. I become one without the vaccine.”

Ellie chewed on her lip for a moment, contemplating. She’d promised Joel she’d stay… but Sarah would want her to go.

“If I wouldn’t have come here, he wouldn’t be dead.”

“If you wouldn’t have come here tonight, he would’ve gone out looking for you and he’d be dead anyways. The Phantoms are getting desperate. Abby- she still wants you to come, to get out while you can.”

“What about Dina?”

“I’m sure you two can make one couch work,” he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, and she shoved his shoulder. 

“When do we leave?”

“Midnight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's gonna tell Joel👀👀 
> 
> Seriously though, whoever it is should be concerned for their well being. This and last chapter changed a lot of things for Ellie. Not only does she now have a sense of closure from everyone she's lost, but it's changed her. She no longer sees the value in holding on to the lies others have told her, and she just wants to move on. Character development!! 
> 
> So... if you couldn't tell, next chapter A LOT is going to go down. I'm kind of thinking of it as a season finale as this initial story line wraps up (ie all of the lies are discovered, Ellie ends the cycle or revenge) and a new story line picks up. I'm SO excited to share it with you, I've been planning this from the very beginning. Things are just getting started😈 
> 
> Everyone's support on this story means the world to me, thank you so much for sticking around and reading!!❤️


	28. Welcome to Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Song: Almost Lover by A Fine Frenzy

Dina didn’t wait for Jesse to turn the car off as they pulled into the library parking lot; she didn’t even bother to slam her door closed as she took in the sight before her. There were two cop cars and an ambulance parked to the side, lights flashing, and suddenly she was running.

It was the strangest sensation, wanting to both run towards, and away from the building in front of her. She was afraid, terrified that she’d find Ellie the same way they’d found Sarah. That the last thing Ellie will ever have experienced was pain and loss.

Something that may have been avoided if Dina had spoken up, told her the truth a day, an hour, a minute before Joel had showed up that night. That was the thing about time: you always think you have enough of it until it’s too late.

Dina clutched the bracelet in her hand and slipped through the entrance, which had been left wide open. The bright overhead lights of the library caused her to squint as she looked around. At first glance, nothing seemed to be out of place. The books seemed to be shelved properly, the computers still at the tables, but the carpet… there were spots of drying blood everywhere.

Was it Ellie’s?

She forced herself to look away and continue walking towards the distant sound of voices. There was this string, this invisible force that bound Ellie and Dina. She felt it, hated when it felt like it did in that moment, tight, as they drifted apart from one another. But they would always make it back to each other. Always. 

It didn’t take long for Dina to locate the staircase tucked away in a hard-to-find corner of the library. The metal clasp of the Hamsa bit into her hand as she slowly eased her way downstairs, unsure of who she’d find below.

“I don’t understand, I talked to Tommy. Who else would know where- Nick, that you? Bout time you got your lazy-”

Maria trailed off as Dina approached, a look of surprise on her face. 

“Dina,” her mom turned to face her, with the same confused look, “What are you doing here?”

“What are _you_ doing here?”

She and Maria exchanged a look, “…My job- hold that thought,” she paused listening to the crackling voice coming in through her radio, but Dina’s attention was focused elsewhere.

Her world began to spin as the body bag came into view, laying there like it was something as normal as a grocery tote. How many people had died since she’d become a part of this world? She didn’t even want to think about it, and yet what she’d seen in six months had _nothing_ on what Ellie had seen in a lifetime. She’d tried to warn her. 

Her heart rate sped up as she took in the size of the bag; it couldn’t be. Not Ellie, anyone but Ellie.

“Owen Moore,” Dina’s mom said shortly, breaking Dina’s spiraling thoughts as she reclasped her radio to her uniform “Double gunshot wounds in the abdomen and head. Dead before he even heard the gun go off.”

Maria crossed her arms, clearly irritated that she’d so willingly given so much information.   
  


“Shallah, I don’t think it’s appropriate…”

Dina took in a deep breath, momentary relief flooding through her. Looking again, she noticed the shoes poking through the bag were not Converse, but combat boots.

“Ellie,” Dina started, bracing herself, “Did she… was this…”

“No,” Maria shook her head before Dina could even finish the question, “No, it wasn’t her. Joel has a log of everyone’s weapons, and these bullet casings aren’t from her gun.”

“We don’t know it wasn’t her,” Shallah spoke up, “We know she was here,” she said gesturing to the hockey stick laying on the floor, “His bruising matches up with the stick, and she could’ve easily stolen a gun, or-”

“ _It wasn’t Ellie_ ,” Maria said, harder that time, “I’ve known that girl for a long time, hell, I helped potty train her. She may talk a big game, but Ellie doesn’t shoot to kill. Never has,” Maria set her jaw, “And never will.”

“Hey D, you down here?” Jesse called from the top of the stairs.

“Christ, how many of you are there?” Maria muttered under her breath before glancing up, “Come on down Jesse. We’re about finished up here, right Shallah?”

“Right,” she nodded, “I’ll go check on Nick, see what’s taking him so long.”

Maria nodded and scribbled something on her clip board, but Dina watched her mother from the corner of her eyes as she walked off, and noticed the contact she clicked on her phone screen as she moved away. Jacob.

“The Old Man wants us to head back,” Jesse said as he clomped down the steps in his boots. 

“What? Did he find Ellie?”

“No,” he said, glancing at his watch, “Night Patrol’s about to start and he wants us to take an hour shift, see if we find anything. And…”

“And?”

“I think I figured out why Firefly wanted me to drive her around.”

…

Ellie sat in the uncomfortable plastic hospital chair as Manny paced outside the room trying to get ahold of Abby on the one phone that had her new contact information. The clock on the wall read ten pm and Ellie bounced her leg in anticipation; two hours until they’d leave.

The steady clicking to her side did nothing to ease her nerves, and she shot an annoyed look at the man in the hospital bed beside her. Either Jerry didn’t notice, or he did and didn’t care, as he continued to press the buttons on the T.V. remote in an endless loop.

Ellie sighed and picked at her peeling armrest before grabbing her backpack from between her feet and fishing around near the bottom until she found what she was looking for.

“Hey Doc- I remember you collect these, so…” Ellie used her thumb to flick the quarter she’d found into his lap. 

He looked away from the screen and raised his eyebrows as he picked it up.

“Where’d you get this?”

“Why?” Ellie sat up suddenly, “Is it rare?”

“Hmm. Minnesota… got another one of these by any chance?”

“Anderson, I swear to god if I just made you rich…”

“Well?”

“Uh- no, I don’t,” Ellie said regretfully.

“That’s too bad. One more of these and you could’ve gotten me a pack of peanut butter crackers from the vending machine.”

“Oh, fuck you,” Ellie groaned and slumped back into her chair.

“He really is the worse,” a voice said.

“Hey Mar,” Jerry said at the same time as Ellie called a greeting to the nurse and Rattler that had walked in without either of them noticing.

“Just here to check on your fluids,” Marlene said with a smile as she replaced the hanging I.V. bag with a new one.

“The key to collecting,” Jerry said, “is you don’t want the perfect coins. The special quarters are the ones that are flawed, stamped incorrectly. _Those_ are the ones to look out for.”

There may have been a metaphor in there somewhere, but Ellie only rolled her eyes, “Give it back then, I’ll get _myself_ something from the machine.” 

“You can’t take a gift back, did the Old Man teach you nothing?”

At the mention of Joel, Ellie’s smile faded, and Marlene took that as her cue to go.

“Look…” Ellie rest her chin on her knee after a moment of silence, “I’m sorry for what he did to you.

Jerry sighed and turned so he could look at Ellie, “Tell me something… Did you ask him to do all this?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean. Did you ask Joel to lie, to manipulate, to come after me?”

“Well, no, but-”

“Then I don’t want to hear it.” 

If it weren’t for the seriousness of the topic, Ellie would’ve laughed; it had only been a few months ago that she and Abby had a similar conversation. She was more like Jerry than she knew.

Ellie wondered what parts of Joel she’d taken on, and what parts of herself weren’t his, but the man from the tape’s. Her father’s.

“Love can cause people to do great things…”

“And terrible things,” Ellie finished for him, “I know.”

Everything Joel and Sarah had done was to protect her, to keep her safe. It had started from a good place, an honorable place even, but had completely spiraled out of control.

“Look,” Jerry rolled the quarter around in his palm, “sometimes… sometimes things just can’t be fixed. Sometimes there is no cure.”

“But the Phantoms said if _I_ go to them, _they’ll_ stop spreading the vaccine.”

Jerry pursed his lips and thought for a moment before responding.

“You ever wonder why they’re spreading the vaccine in the first place? I don’t think a 20-year-old kid has much sway in that, do you?”

“I don’t know,” she rubbed her forehead tiredly, “but all of this… it has to mean something. Right? You had to have discovered something about the Vaccine, weren’t you researching it? Maybe if there was cure- a real one, maybe then-”

“There isn’t,” he shook his head, “This drug… it’s nothing like I’ve ever seen before. One injection and you’re hooked. I know about the ‘demon hospitals’ or whatever the hell Joel calls them nowadays. The success rate is minimal, don’t let him and Firefly fool you. Manny was one of the lucky ones…the Vaccine changes the chemistry of the brain, rewires it, plugs us into the very worst parts of ourselves.”

“You don’t need a drug for that,” Ellie winced.

“You’re right,” he nodded, “But imagine if you could control all of these rage filled people, hold this thing over their heads until they do what you want. You think a locked door, a smile and a ‘good luck with withdrawal, see you in two weeks’ from Joel will stop them? I may be holed up in here, but I know it’s getting worse out there.”

“But there has to be _something_ someone can do.”

“Everything we’ve been fighting for, all the sacrifices, all the horrific…” his voice caught, “I hate to break it to you Ellie, but nothing any of us do means jack. I know you’ve always lived in the stars, but it’s time to be realistic. Welcome to Earth.”

“Yeah,” she scoffed, glancing at the spaceship pin on her backpack.

“Leaving. It’ll be good for you. I know Abby will be happy to hear the news.”

“What about you?” she looked up again, “Manny said you’re being transferred to a facility in Santa Barbara?”

“Next week. Can’t wait to see palm trees when I look out the window instead of a brick wall. Joel got it all set up for me.”

Ellie raised her eyebrows, “Joel. The man who paralyzed you is paying to have you transferred to be with Abby, your daughter who walked out on the Rattlers behind his back, and took Lev with her?”

Jerry smiled sadly, “The world isn’t black and white, kid. Never has been, never will be.

…

Dina paced the small space of Ellie’s bedroom as they waited the last ten minutes before their patrol shift would start. Jesse was laid back, flipping through one of the comic books he’d found on the bedside table.

“She didn’t tell me she had the new issue of Savage Starlight…”

Dina ignored him and kept walking around, sidestepping the fireman’s pole that led to the bar below where Joel, Maria, Talia, and her mom were talking in low whispers.

“This is bull. We’re their seconds, we should be allowed down there.”

“Dina.”

“I mean, it makes no sense. Your theory is the first- the _only_ lead we have, and we’re stuck up here.”

“ _Dina_.”

“ _What?_ ” she whirled on him.

Jesse patted the spot on the bed beside him, and Dina huffed but complied, throwing herself down.

“If I’m right, do you know what that means? The end of The Rattlers as we know it, and then what? Go back to Vipers vs Scorps? We’ll all be scattered, and The Phantoms will do whatever they want without us around. Jackson needs us. We may not be good guys, but we _do_ keep the bad guys in check.”

“So what if everyone believed something else? Instead of Firefly betraying Joel through Ellie… what if he just… disappeared.”

Jesse leaned back, trying to read her expression, but failing. He had no idea what she was thinking, and that had never happened before.

“Joel will kill your dad before we’d even have the chance to do something like that.”

“Not,” Dina said, a dangerous glint in her eyes, “If _we_ get to him first.” 

…

Ellie took a deep breath in and pushed the entrance to Tommy’s open, causing the bell above the door to ring. It was pretty late, and still a couple hours before the midnight rush would come in, so the diner was relatively empty.

She offered a small wave at the cashier on shift and walked towards the back hallway, freezing when she spotted Mel.

“Hey, hon- you okay?”

Firefly wanted her dead… but why? What connection could she possibly have to the Phantoms that could pose a threat to them? Ellie glanced to Mel’s hand, which was absentmindedly rubbing her stomach, and shook her head.

No. It didn’t matter anymore. Jerry was right, there was nothing any of them could do, and she’d been gone in a couple hours anyway. This wasn’t her business anymore.

“I’m fine,” she tried to smile but grimaced instead, “What about you? Are you, you know, okay?”

Mel frowned, “Of course I am, hey-” she caught Ellie’s left arm, “I thought this was still healing.”

“I uh…” Ellie glanced away. No point in lying. “I took it off, felt too tight.”

Mel’s frown deepened, and the first time they’d met flashed in her mind. Ellie vaguely remembered her mentioning she was also a nurse.

“You really should’ve gone to the doctor, what did you do, take a chain saw to it?”

“Something like that,” Ellie muttered guiltily as Mel ran her fingers along Ellie’s arm, feeling for any abnormalities and watching for any signs of pain.

“Well it _feels_ okay, but-”

“Tommy in?” Ellie asked suddenly, pulling her arm away. Mel was going to die, Mel and her baby at the hands of Jacob, and there was nothing she could do about it.

“The office,” she smiled, “How about I grab you something to take with you?”

Without given Ellie a chance to protest, Mel was around the corner and heading towards the kitchen.

Ellie once again tested her arm out, clenching and unclenching her fist, still feeling Mel’s lingering touch.

With a sigh, she made her way down the rest of the hallway and stopped at Tommy’s door. She hesitated before stepping though the doorway, but he was facing away, staring at the map of Jackson tacked to his wall.

“Mel, how bouts- Ellie…” he faltered when he saw who’d entered, placing his hands on his hips, “What are you doing here, kid?”

Ellie looked down, remembering the last time they’d spoken. She had no idea how she was supposed to tell her Uncle she’d probably never see him again.

“Tommy…” she started but looked down.

“Hey, I’ll have none of that. I’ve done my share of saying things I don’t mean. What’s this about?”

“Just wanted to see you is all,” Ellie said, kicking at the rug at her feet.

Tommy sighed, “Somethin happen? I can tell when you’re off.”

Owen’s words echoed in her mind, “ _Ask Tommy who he really is_.”

“I just…”

But then Owen’s last words, his real ones, overpowered what he’d said in anger.

“ _Forget all the bullshit I said before- I don’t have anything left for me out there. But you do_.”

Ellie clenched her fists; she was so close to getting what Sarah had wanted for her: a way out. If she opened up old wounds, she’d be putting that at risk.

“What is it, Ellie?” 

“Tommy… I’m leaving.”

He shifted his weight to his good leg, “What?”

“I’m leaving, and I wanted to tell you goodbye.”

“And what does Joel think about all this?”

“I haven’t told him yet.”

Tommy shook his head, “You can’t just up and leave- what about school- hockey? You’ve got a scholarship at that school, and what about that girl of yours? You gonna leave her behind… wait. _Please_ tell me this isn’t about some sort of break up.”

“It’s not.”

“Okay…” Tommy raised his eyebrows, inviting her to continue.

“I have to get out of here,” Ellie said, feeling her emotions starting to get away from her, “I’m afraid of becoming what everyone knows I am.”

“And what’s that?”

“A Phantom,” she whispered, ducking her head as the tears started to come.

“Oh kid,” Tommy crossed the room and wrapped his arms around her. Despite the fact that Tommy was definitely not someone who often showed affection, the hug wasn’t awkward.

“There ain’t nothin wrong with who you are.”

Ellie sniffed, and he pulled away, “Was that snot you just got on my jacket?”

“No,” she laughed a little, swiping at her nose with the back of her sleeve.

“If you’re lyin…”

Ellie laughed again and Tommy nodded, patting her shoulder.

“Make sure… make sure Mel’s alright. Okay?”

“Okay,” he said breathily, watching as Ellie walked through the doorway again. He waited until he heard the jingle of the bell as she left the restaurant before slamming his hand against the wall.

“ _Damn it!”_

“Boss?” Mel stepped into the room tentatively, “Everything okay?”

“No,” he snatched his office phone of its hook, already dialing a series of numbers, “We’ve got a big problem.”

…

“I don’t understand,” Dina rubbed her forehead, “Where is he?”

“I don’t know,” Jesse said as he cranked his engine, “But maybe it’s a good thing we didn’t find him.”

“How could you say that?” She snapped, turning towards him, “He manipulated Ellie, he lied to me my entire life, hell he’s been black mailing you because he paid your debt off for _years_ now.”

“So, what?” Jesse gripped the steering wheel and turned towards Dina, “What are you planning to do when you find him?”

Dina opened her mouth, but closed it again.

“Yeah,” he laughed darkly, “that’s what I thought.”

“Screw you, Jesse.”

“No,” he shook his head, “You don’t get to do that, play this off like we’re going _bowling_ or something. You’re the smart one here, Dina. Tell me you don’t see how crazy this is.”

“I’m trying protect Ellie.”

“Well you know what? She didn’t ask for that, in fact, she’d _hate_ that you think so little of her that-Dina, get back in the car. Dina-”

“ _Why_?” her hand hovered over her heart. She couldn’t let the string that connected her to Ellie be severed, even if it meant getting into another fight. She couldn’t lose her.

“We need to head back,” Jesse said glancing around at their dark surroundings, courtesy of the streetlight-less alley Firefly had stationed one of his safehouses. “We can talk this out after you’ve gotten some sleep.”

“I don’t need your _fucking_ help, Jesse,” Dina said, slamming the car door between them. 

…

Ellie stood at the entrance of her last stop, staring up at the bar entrance she’d been in and out of her entire life, the only home she’d ever known. She tightened the straps of her backpack around her shoulders and began to walk up the steps.

“An hour, El. I can’t wait any longer,” Manny called after her from his car. 

“If I don’t show up at the spot, leave without me,” she joked, “Because I’ll be dead.”

“Aye aye, number two,” Manny saluted, and pulled out of the parking lot.

“Okay…” Ellie took the steps two at a time and opened the door to find the bar empty and dark.

“Joel?”

She maneuvered her way through the empty tables, looking for any sign of life, and her eyes settled on the back exit. The door was propped open, and she could just barely make out the sound of a guitar.

Ellie closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and continued walking towards the music. When she reached the door she stopped, and could barely make out Joel’s form as he sat hunched over the guitar she’d just been playing in his storage garage.

Ellie realized with a start that she didn’t know him, this Joel that hadn’t gone after Owen, and had paid for Jerry to be moved to Santa Barbara to be with his daughter. Firefly had said Joel had gone soft, but it was more than that. He’d changed.

They both had.

She slowly creaked open the door and stepped through, and Joel looked up in surprise.

“Hey,” he said softly, leaning the guitar against the side of the building.

She almost said it back, but stopped herself, and instead walked over to the rail, which overlooked the back parking lot, waiting for Joel to counter her first move.

“Where is everyone?”

“Patrol,” he said, standing up. Ellie noticed the owl mug Joel was holding as he approached, “Looking for you.”

“Sorry,” she sighed, and waited a beat before continuing, “What are you drinking?”

“Coffee,” he grunted, leaning his elbows on the rail, mirroring Ellie.

“Gross,” she said lightly, still hiding under the pretense of small talk.

“Your sister… _Sarah_ … she liked it.”

Ellie cleared her throat, pressure beginning to build behind her eyes. She had to say this, couldn’t leave without making sure he knew.

“I didn’t mean what I said at the funeral…” she scratched at the wooden railing, “I just… I didn’t mean it. Any of it.”

Joel nodded slowly, “I know.”

Ellie felt a weight lift off her shoulders, but there was still an unsettled tension in the air.

“Dina,” Joel said suddenly, “You love her.”

Ellie looked away, “I’m so stupid,” she said into her shoulder.

Joel smiled a little but kept his gaze in his coffee. “I have no idea what that girl’s intention are… but I know she’s lucky to have you.”

Ellie’s face puckered, her mood violently swinging to sour, “You’re _such_ an asshole.”

And once again, words she didn’t mean were coming out of her mouth in frustration as she stared at the worn wood she’d been picking at.

“I’m not trying to-”

“I was supposed to have grown up a Phantom. You should’ve told me, given me the _choice_ at least, to be with them. It would’ve been you, you’ve always been my dad. Even before you found me,” she sniffed, “but you _took_ that from me. The choice. And you made everyone I care about do it too.”

She shook her head and let out a frustrated breath as Joel stood up straight and met her eyes.

“If somehow the Lord gave me a second chance at that moment…” his eyes hardened as he re-lived pulling the trigger on the Williams’, on scooping Ellie up and out of a life of hardship, of an early death, “I would do it all over again.

Ellie blinked at his honesty and held her breath for a moment before releasing it, “Yeah. I just… I don’t think I can ever forgive you for that.”

Joel took a sharp intake of breath, not expecting there to be more.

“But… I would like to _try_.”

She looked away again, and felt Joel- her dad, stare at her in disbelief.

“I’d like that,” he said after a moment. 

“Okay…” she said, starting to feel a little awkward, “I’ll-”

“ _Ellie_!”

She barely turned in time as Dina launched herself forwards, causing Ellie to stumble.

“I’ll… give you two a minute,” Joel said quietly, voice shaky with emotion. He closed the back entrance behind him, and Ellie tucked her head in the crook of Dina’s neck.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I love you, I’m sorry,” she repeated the words over and over like a mantra as Dina stroked her hair, smoothed the wrinkles from her shirt, slipped the Hamsa back around her right wrist.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Dina whispered to every ‘I’m sorry,’ rocking them back and forth in a soothing motion, “I’m just glad you’re back home.”

At that, Ellie finally quieted, and slowly pulled away. Dina swiped at Ellie’s wet cheeks with the backs of her thumbs, tucked a loose strand of auburn hair behind her ear.

“I’m leaving for Santa Barbara. And I want you to come with me.”

“ _Leaving_?”

“In an hour. If we hurry we could drop by your place, pack you a bag before we meet up with Manny- he’s our ride.”

“El, wait a second,” Dina said, trying to regain control of the situation.

“I know it’s not optimal, but Abby and Lev have a set up, and-”

“ _Ellie_.”

Dina didn’t need to say anything else; her tone said it all. She wasn’t coming.

“No,” Ellie shook her head, “You _have_ to come, we’ve got…” she glanced at the time on her phone, “We’ve got thirty minutes. If this is about JJ, we could move Robin and her husband out eventually once we’ve saved enough. Jesse too.”

“This is good,” Dina said, ignoring her rambling, “You’ll be safe there.”

“Safe? I’m not going because I’m _afraid_ \- if that’s why you don’t want to come-”

“I’ve never heard you play,” Dina cut her off, glancing over at the guitar Joel left behind, “Sing me something before you go.”

Ellie didn’t like it, the calculated cool Dina was giving off as she watched her. Objective, logical, detached.

“But _babe_ -”

“Please.”

Ellie touched her forehead lightly to Dina’s, but complied, taking Joel’s seat and picking up the guitar.

“This is stupid,” she mumbled, “If you actually think I’m going to leave you behind-”

“I just want to hear my girlfriend play,” Dina said sadly, “Is that too much to ask?”

Ellie bit the inside of her cheek stubbornly, but began plucking a few chords. Dina had to know there was no way she’d go without her… right? 

She sighed, and began to sing the song that was closest to what she was feeling.

_We walked along a crowded street  
You took my hand and danced with me  
Images  
And when you left you kissed my lips  
You told me you would never, never forget  
These images_

_Well, I'd never want to see you unhappy  
I thought you'd want the same for me_

_Goodbye, my almost lover  
Goodbye, my hopeless dream  
I'm trying not to think about you  
Can't you just let me be  
So long, my luckless romance  
My back is turned on you  
Shoulda known you'd bring me heartache  
Almost lovers always do_

_I cannot go to the ocean  
I cannot drive the streets at night  
I cannot wake up in the morning  
Without you on my mind_

_Shoulda known you'd bring me heartache  
Almost lovers always do_

Ellie’s fingers stilled, and she looked up to see Dina looking at her as if she’d just hung the moon.

“El-”

A shout from behind them caused both of their heads to whip around and face the door sealing them from the bar.

Ellie set the guitar down and reached for her waistband, only to find her revolver wasn’t there; she’d left it with Manny. She slipped her switchblade from her pocket instead, and Dina gave her a silent nod, pistol at the ready as Ellie swung the door open.

They barely had time to duck behind the stage as two shots flew over their heads.

“Stand up! Hands in the air or I shoot again,” An unrecognizable voice said.

Ellie and Dina exchanged a panicked look.

“Don’t do it Ellie, get out of here,” Joel’s voice rasped.

“Stand up. Now!” The voice shouted again.

“Don’t you fucking dare-”

Ellie ignored both Dina’s attempts to keep her down, and Joel’s pleading, and she stood up, hands raised.

“Toss your weapon.”

Ellie’s heart hammered as she took in the scene in front of her. There was an entire group of people crowded in the bar, blocking the entrance with crossed arms and scowls on their faces. She didn’t have to see the skull brand to know who they were.

Phantoms.

Ellie focused on the woman in front of her and instantly recognized the face of the hockey player she’d fought on the ice. The same woman that was now holding a gun to Joel’s head: Leah. 

But the girl holding Joel steady… Ellie had never seen her before.

“Toss it!”

Ellie flinched and let her knife clatter to the ground. Leah glanced away, and Ellie realized they hadn’t seen Dina sneak in behind her. Good.

“No… no…” Joel tried to get Ellie to meet his eyes, but she kept focused on Leah.

Sarah… she’d told Ellie that no matter what, you keep finding something to fight for. Maybe this was what that meant. Not leaving everything behind, but facing it head on.

“I know why you’re here,” she panted, making sure to keep her hands above her head, “I’m the one that you want. Just let him go.”

“Found this one upstairs,” a deep voice said. Ellie craned her neck to see a rough looking Phantom digging a gun into Firefly’s back.

“Bring him over here, Jordan,” Leah said, and returned her focus, “Ellie Williams,” she said, glancing at the tattoo running along her arm.

“Miller,” Ellie corrected, watching as “Jordan” forced Jacob to his knees. But instead of looking to Joel or Dina, he looked at Ellie, and gave a little nod.

Do this, and your debt to me is paid, he seemed to say. Protect Dina, give up your share of Joel’s kingdom, and you’re free. She knew it probably wasn’t as simple as that. He’d expected Owen to kill her so Dina would be the only heir to the Rattlers, so Ellie leaving for the Phantoms was just as good in his eyes because either way, she’d be gone. He had nothing to lose and everything to gain. 

Despite that, she returned his nod. This was the only way. 

But Ellie wasn’t the only one who noticed the little exchange.

Ellie’s ears instantly began to ring as Dina sprang up and fired a single bullet at her father, sending him crumpling to the ground.

“Sneaky little Rattlers,” Leah hissed pushing her gun up against Joel’s head again, “You want to try that again?”

“Dina?” Ellie whispered, wide eyed as she looked from Jacob’s dead body to her girlfriend, whose face was a mask of… nothing.

“Dina, why did you-”

“Hey!” A voice thundered as the entrance slammed open, “If you don’t get that gun away from my brother’s head, you’ll be layin next to Firefly.”

“Tommy,” Ellie sighed in relief, but instead of gunning the girl down, he kept his pistol holstered as she stepped away from Joel.

“You too Cat,” he said, gesturing to the girl holding him steady, “Stand down.” 

“He killed Yara.”

“I ain’t got time for the blame game,” Tommy said impatiently, ignoring the daggers Joel was staring at him, “Come on now Ellie, the King won’t wait forever.”

And just like that, everything clicked into place. The reason Tommy and Joel had fought, why Maria had filed for divorce, why Tommy had known _exactly_ where to send Ellie when she’d wanted proof of Joel’s lie.

He was a Phantom.

“Now a promise is only good if both parties hold up their end. Joel’s fine, see?” Tommy snapped his fingers in front of his brother’s face, “So let’s go.”

“ _Welcome to Earth_ ,” Jerry’s words rang through her mind. There was no spaceship coming to take her away, and there was no way Manny would still be waiting for her at the corner. She’d told him to leave without her jokingly, but he knew as well as she did that underlying the humor she’d been serious. 

Ellie looked at Dina, who was frozen, from fear or remorse Ellie wasn’t sure, and then at Joel, whose eyes held the same look they had when Sarah had died. This was what happened when you got too comfortable, let your guard down.

But the few minutes of peace they’d gotten out on the porch… to Ellie, they’d been worth it.

“You heard the man, speed it up, brickmaster.”

No.

It couldn’t be.

“Clear out everyone,” Tommy said as Ellie began to move her feet, one after the other. “We got what we came for.”

Ellie twisted at the ring on her finger, refusing to look up from her Converse until they were outside, knowing that the moment she did, what she’d faced in the past few months would be nothing compared to what was to come.

“What’s wrong, El?” Riley nudged her shoulder, “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnddddd roll credits! So, what did you guys think about the "season finale?" I drew from a lot of different scenes for this chapter. Ellie and Joel's final conversation in the game and also Abby's theatre confrontation. I took Joel's "Welcome to Earth" line from the museum and had Jerry say it. I feel like that line has a lot more meaning than just the cute surface level interpretation. 
> 
> A lot of things happened in this chapter that can't be taken back. Because Ellie chose to say goodbye to Tommy, he was able to notify the Phantoms she was leaving and put a stop to it. And because Dina's mom called Firefly in the beginning, he showed up at the Miller residence and Dina ended up killing him. Showing that actions, even harmless ones, have consequences is something I've really wanted to emphasize. 
> 
> In the spirit of season finales, I'm going to take a week hiatus to sort of let the story simmer a little bit. I've got a lot planned for "season two" and can't wait to share it with everyone. Let me know what you think!!
> 
> Stay safe❤️


	29. Hiatus Update

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not an update

Hey guys! 

I just wanted to let you know that my hiatus is going to be a bit longer. I want to pre-write some of the chapters so that I don't have to rush and write them the week-of. See you at the season 2 premier! 

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think, I love leaving comments on works, and would love to receive some. If you like it, I'll continue to write it! 
> 
> I'm @arcookie on Tumblr if you want to stop by!


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